A fallen star
by Aquanova dragon
Summary: When the North Star falls to earth, AGAIN, the nations are beyond happy. However, when new threats come to light, that happiness may be put at risk. A.N: it takes quite a while to get into the actual story,but it will come, first few chappies are just getting into the environment and relationships.
1. Prologue

New story! I was debating whether to put this up or not but I was just like "hey screw it" so here it is! Don't own hetalia TTTTTT

1783

Rain pounded down harshly on all the onlookers. Two men stood, silently waiting for the other to make a move. A little further away was another Man with long blond hair, holding the shoulders of a girl with honey-gold hair, tears streaming down her face.

I can't stop the tears from falling. If anything happened to either of them, to any of the nations, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. _England... And America... _I've only been here for a few months, but I can't see why it had to come down to this. I can sense both of them, spirits at unease, but the tension is building. Suddenly, the build up snaps, and a gun is loaded. In the split second that marks England pulling the trigger, and doing the worst thing that he could do, I free myself of France's grasp, and throw myself in front of America. As the bullet lands, I can just see the looks of horror from all the nations present. America's eyes are shining in shock. As I stumble, a familiar French accented voice pierces the dull humming in my ears. "Iyla!" My friend sprints up to me, as America kneels beside me. I limp over to England, who is on his knees. I place a gentle hand on his shoulder, and sing a few lines which i hope will help. "And i hope that you know, that nature is so..." His eyes widen in recognition. Stumbling away, i crumple next to my friends.

"Hey France..."

" hush Iyla, mon petit, tout sera bien..." Silver liquid is slowly dripping down my body from my side, and I can feel my consciousness fading.

" I'm not sure about that..." France shakes his head, matching America's shaking hands. "Iyla... Why-"

"I was giving both of you a second chance. England was about to make the worst mistake of his life." I suddenly intake a breath, and my vision flickers, before fading to a blinding light.

The girl's body was lifted from the bloody battle field, before changing into a glowing ball of light and speeding into the sky. For a moment, all is silent. France lifts himself up, and walks away without a word. If you could have seen his face, you would have seen crystals staining his features. America is still shaking. He can't stop, no matter what he tries. Suddenly, a movement catches his eye, and he spins around to see England fall to his knees, hands over his face. "You can have," a muffled voice said, "your bloody independence, you twit." America cocks his head in confusion.

"You...used to be so big..." England is silent. He swallows, before leaving the broken nation behind him in the rain, still in a trance like stupor. Sometime when he arrives at his home, he buckles to his knees, shivering. The once great nation that was left behind also shakes. Not with cold. But with heart wrenching sobs, cutting through the endless twilight that imprisoned two great nations in war.

Translations

mon petit, tout sera bien... : my little one, it will be ok/everything is alright...


	2. Chapter 2

Don't own the pure epicness and insanity that is hetalia :(

Present day

I am enveloped in white light. I could have been here for any length of time; I can't remember anything except this. But slowly, the light begins to fade, and ghostly shapes begin to appear. I don't know what's happening. All I know is that a flash of light has brought me somewhere else.

I feel a grainy surface beneath my body. Wait, what?! I pull my arms in front of me, and laugh out loud in wonder at the proof in front of me. I'm in my human, physical form. What is this grainy stuff, and what about the blue shining stuff by my toes? I touch it, and jerk back quickly._ It's cold. Cold. And wet. Cold. And wet..._ With a scream, I fall to the ground, a stream of images flowing through my mind like a senseless river. I close my eyes, wishing for it to end.

When I come to, it is night. Stars shine above me. And I know that it's night, because I remember. I remember my friend France, and a few details about the other nations, but not much. And i remember getting shot. Yeah. I definitely remember that. Stumbling to my feet, I stretch out my wings and grin. "Hell yeah." Looking around, I spot a coconut, and extend my hand out to it. It raises up in the air. My grin only grows, until faltering under the realisation that I have no freaking idea where I am. Inwardly, I curse, and search the beach I am on for any clues. Nothing. _Maybe I can fly up? _Raising up my wings, I manage about 6 feet before I fall down. Grimacing, I dust myself off, and walk in the direction of the smoke I caught a glimpse of.

Trekking down the beach, I spot the source of the smoke. A fire, watched by three people, and one of them very talkative. I can hear him from all the way over here. _Maybe I should figure out who these guys are first. _I extend my mind out towards theirs, tendrils of thought slipping over their consciousness'. _Not humans, definitely not. Then, what could-_ the realisation hits me like a truck. _Nations! _I take a step back in shock, and a twig breaks under my bare feet. The figures whip round in my direction, and one speaks in a gruff tone. "Halt! Who goes there?" The glint of a sword and a gun flicker over my face as I step out into the light, and see the nations for the first time. The one who spoke has slicked back blond hair, and startlingly blue eyes, contrasting with the man behind him, who has hazel eyes, and brown hair, with a curl sticking out. Also unlike the blond, he is shaking. "Ve? Germany, it's just-a Bella Donna!" The third man nods, cropped black hair waving in the faint breeze.

"Hai." The blond one, who I guess is Germany, inspects me.

"And who are you?" I open my mouth to speak, but the one who spoke some other language, Italian maybe, beats me to It.

"Now Germany, that is no vay to treat-a bella Donna! Vee have to let her sit-a down, si?" I nod gratefully, considering that I only woke up a few hours ago, and considering I've been asleep for over 200 years, my legs need a little rest. The brown haired one takes my hand and shakes it violently. "Salve! My-a name is Italia! And these are my best friends, japan, and Germany! I like pasta and music, but Germany likes these horrible sausages, and I don't understand why..." A mournful look passes over his face.

"Vy you little... My wurst are not horrible! They are the culmination of German cuisine!" Germany takes Italy by the collar and starts shaking him violently while Italy protests. Japan takes no notice, as if this is an ordinary occurrence. "Ro, who are you then?" He says softly. The entire group stares at me, but I can't answer. Mainly because I'm laughing too hard. Gasping for breath, I grin at the nations. "He... Sorry...too funny... My name is Iyla." Germany raises an eyebrow.

"Vat? I don't know any country called Iyla..." I smile. _This... might take some explaining. _

"Well... I'm not exactly a nation." Eyebrows are raised all around, except for Italy who is singing off to the side about pasta. _Is that normal for him?_ "Umm, how do I put this... You know how all of you are personifications of your country?" Nods follow my question. "Well... I'm the personification of the North Star. I fell to earth somehow." Mouths drop open, even Italy has stopped singing.

"How do you not know how you got here?" Japan asks quietly. I suck in my breath.

"When we are up in the stars, we are in some sort of suspended animation. We're asleep," I add for Italy's benefit.

"Incredible..." Germany murmurs.

"So, what can-a you do?" I look up to meet Italy's shining gaze. Smiling softly, I respond.

"What do you mean?" Italy cocks his head.

"Vell, shooting stars can grant wishes! Can you grant wishes?" I allow a small laugh to escape me.

"Close, but not quite. I have control over the underlying energy of the universe. It's mine to make as I will. Oh, and-" I spread my silvery wings around me, and unsheathe the silver blades that are concealed in my arms and legs. More gawping. "Will you shut your mouths, you look like beached fish." Italy's brow is furrowed.

"Underlying vat-vat?" I smile again; Italy has that kind of effect on people.

"In theory, I can do whatever I want," I say, dumbing it down enough for him to understand. Hazel eyes widen.

"Wow Bella Iyla! That's incredible!" A heavy hand descends on Italy's shoulder.

"Now Italy, dats enough excitement for von day, ja?" Italy nods, and yawns.

"Si, I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight guys!" He lies down and within seconds, he is sleeping contentedly. Shaking my head, I flop onto the sand next to Italy, and wind that little curl around my finger affectionately. "Hey, Iyla." I look up.

"Yes?"

"How did you know that ve vere nations? Ve did not say so, ja?" Japan nods in agreement. I look away and fiddle with my fingers folded in my lap.

"Umm. It's easier to show you." Both nations nod their consent. Easing my mind towards theirs, I speak. _I'm in your head. Are you mad?_ I smirk as they jump._ Or not?_

"Vat the hell..." I giggle, but slam a hand over my mouth as Italy's brown eyes show themselves.

"You have a really nice voice, Iyla..." He says sleepily. "Can you sing something for me? Please?" I bite my lip.

"I don't know about a song Italy, but I can sing a tune," I say.

"Yeah, that would be just-a great." Closing my eyes, I reach into my memory, and sing fourteen notes that cut through the air like a bird song. Italy must have seen the look of sadness pass over my face. "Ve? What is it Iyla? You sing-a so well, but is that the whole tune?" I shake my head.

"The other part belonged to a friend of mine. It went a little like-" I am cut off by rustling in the bushes above our beach, followed by an uncertain whistle of ten notes that spin my world. _Those notes were..._Germany and japan get up. " ze allies...vee are friends, but vey like to attack us for fun." Italy sits upright in fear, waving a little white flag, protesting

"i surrender!" Over and over. I rest a calming hand on his shoulder, my eyes not leaving the cliff. _Could it be... _I step out in front of Germany and japan.

"Va? Vat are you doing Iyla, get back!" I shake my head.

"Hold on Germany." Up in the bushes, muffled curses are being shouted, sounding a little like an argument. Shaking, my voice calls out the final eleven notes. A muffled exclamation follows, and a figure drops from the bushes. They step into the light of the fire, and I have no way of stopping the joyful tears from flowing down my face. "Oh mon dieu... Iyla..?" The figure asks tentatively, their voice shaking with emotion. I run forward into the figure's arms. "It's me France. It's me. Oh my god..." His arms fold around me, and we are both crying enough to make another ocean. "For god's sake you wanker, tell us what's going on before we come out!" My breath hitches in my throat.

"Is that..?" France nods, eyes shining.

"Oui. Angleterre is safe and sound, as is America, Canada, Russia,..." He counts many more off his fingers, each name bringing me a layer of security. They're all safe...

"alright you twat, we're coming out!"

"Yeah! Don't worry France! The hero will save you! Don't you worry!"

"America, stop it-aru."

"I think that we should just leave France to die a painful death from whatever is causing him to not answer."

"..." _For god's sake Iyla, stop crying!_ Sniffling, I pull away from France and face the bushes in anticipation. Five figures burst out into the light. "Alright, you who's stopping France from answering, listen to me in my total hero voice guys! China! I choose you-" America's voice goes silent as his eyes rest on me. I let out a laugh.

"Still a hero, huh America?"

"Iyla?" I take a mock bow.

"The one and only-oof!" I am hit with the force of a bullet as strong arms grab me.

"How-what-why-w-wh-" America stutters. I grin.

"No idea, but I'm alive!" He hugs me tighter before breaking away.

"England's gonna freak! Hey, England! Your girlfriend's alive!" Way for being subtle America, I think as I turn a shade of pink. "Well, go say hi! I mean like, duh!" He moves aside, and all I can think is _holyfreakingshitHolycrapholycrapholhcrapholycrapholycrap! What do I do!?_

"I...Iyla?" His voice shakes minutely on my name.

"Stars above..." I whisper. Before I know it, my feet are carrying me towards him and I'm hugging him, tiny tears rippling down my face. "How on earth are you..." I shake my head.

"I don't even know. I don't even care right now."

"Iyla, that day... I didn't mean to... I mean.." I stare at England.

"W-what are you talking about?" I question, trying to arrange my features into a look of innocence. It works.

"You... Don't remember..." He says slowly. I bite my tongue down to stop myself from spitting it out.

"Remember what?" England steps away, shaking his head.

"Nothing." _Stars, I'm sorry England. But if you thought I remembered you'd probably be freaking out._ I move towards the rest of the group, who are standing a little while away. "So, Iyla," America says loudly, "where are you gonna go?" France steps in before I can say anything. "But with me, bien sur!" I smirk at France, placing my hands on my hips. "Yeah, in your dreams. I wouldn't sleep in the same country as you if my life depended on it. When I'm asleep, I trust you about as far as I can throw you." France puts on a fake sad face.

"Ahh, Mais Iyla! Why not?" I snort with laughter.

"Are you joking! You're the biggest pervert that ever existed!" France's creepy pervert/pedophile face comes out, and I shrink back. Too late! He's behind me. Smirking, I remember another weapon I have. I grab him by the leg and dangle him in the air upside down. "Damn, you're heavy France! Do you know how much energy I'm using to hold you up there?" Germany decides to step in.

"ENOUGH! Now. Ver is Iyla going to stay, ja?"

"she has to be close to me!" France interjects from his high vantage point.

"Well, there's the obvious! Iyla is going to stay with England. Problem solved!" America summarises.

" now hold on there you bloody wanker! You can't just spring this upon me!" I scowl, trying to cover up my blush.

"Hey hey hey! I don't need a fricken baby sitter, for gods sake!"

"Well, you are pretty young..." England considers. I smirk.

"How old are you?"

"200,0000, something like that. Physically I'm 23. And you?" England retorts. I snort with laughter.

"_Little one_, I'm at least a hundred times older than you! I've been around before your planet even formed!" I say mockingly. Italy cocks his head.

"How are you looking so young and-a pretty?" I furrow my brow.

"I think I age slower than you guys do... I'm nearly 20, physically..." America slings an arm around me.

"Hey! You're the same age as the hero! Cool!" I roll my eyes.

"Oh, and America?" England has a particularly menacing look in his eyes, purple smoke rising up from his form, and I shrink behind France, bracing myself for the upcoming outburst. "Yeah? What's up?" England has gone bright red, and I get the feeling I know what this is about.

"She. Is not. My girlfriend!" England shouts, and the two are immediately engaged in verbal battle, England shouting abuse while America shrugs it off. "YOUSODDINGPILLOCKIFYOUDONTSHUTUPISWEARTOTHEHIGHLORDOHMIGHTY,EVENHEWONTBEABLETOSAVEYOURSOULFROMTHEDIVINERETRIBUTIONIAMGOINGTODEALUPONYOU-"

"SHUT UP!" Germany yells, breaking up the fight. "Let's just go now, ja? He says, after smoothing his hair back, composing himself. I nod happily.

"Ja."

Later

My eyes flitter open to somebody calling my name. "Iyla? Come on, it's our stop." I nod sleepily and pull myself to my feet, stumbling a little. The station we stopped at is small, and ever so slightly familiar. "I've been here before, haven't I?" England turns to me.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I roll my eyes. _Rude as ever._

"I don't have all my memories back England. I've lost quite a few."

"Well then, in response to your question, yes you have been here. You used to come over with France."

"I used to stay with France?" My face taking on an expression of horror.

"Yes." _What the hell was I thinking? Well, he did make good food. I do remember that. _It's a short walk to the front of a large, worn down manor. "This is your place?" England nods curtly, and steps through the gate. A particularly cold gust of wind pierces my skin on my bare arms and legs, since The skirt and half sleeve top I'm wearing aren't particularly protective against the cold, and I shiver, rushing inside. "It might snow Tomorrow..." I hear England mumbling. _What the hell is snow?_ I take in the large room I'm in, sweeping off to two large staircases. "Your room is off to the left. S-some of your things are... Still there." England's voice pauses for a second. _So he isn't all hard and cold. _I nod. "Thanks. I'll see you Tomorrow, right?" England nods back.

"Right. There's a world meeting Tomorrow, by the way." I smile sleepily.

"Ok."


	3. Chapter 3

Me no own hetalia :(

Next time I awake, i am within soft white sheets. I smile, remembering where I am. But then I am struck by something. The complete, soft silence, as if the world was wrapped in downy sheets. The only light streaming from the large windows is pure white. I recall what England said yesterday: it might snow Tomorrow. _What the hell is snow!? _Throwing myself out of bed, I rush over to the window, and let out a shriek. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" The entire world is covered in white. Immediately, I bite my lip and look towards the door, praying to god that I didn't wake up England. He's pretty grumpy most of the time, so I don't want to imagine what he's like in the morning. Silence ensues, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Quietly getting dressed into grey leggings and a white long sleeved top, I run to the front door and gently ease it open. I am hit by a blast of freezing wind, as I step outside in my bare feet. Immediately I curse loudly. "That's fecking cold!" Looking up, I see the sky covered in grey clouds, tiny specks of white falling down from the heavens. I spread my hands out in wonder, trying to catch one of the delicate flakes. They melt in my hands. _What the hell is this? _Staring at my hands again, I realise I am shaking violently with cold, my skin white like the snow around me. The thing is, I don't feel any cold, only a stinging numb sensation. I lie back in the white powder, it sinking around me like a pillow. All the sounds of the world are muffled. Slowly, my eyes close, and I get the oddest sensation, like this is a bad thing, but I can't resist the silent softness. Dimly, I hear someone's voice. "Iyla!" I am roughly picked out of the snow, my frozen limbs crying out in pain from being moved. I have the dull sense of being taken inside, and placed in front of the fire in the large sitting room. "What the hell were you doing!" England shouts, bustling in the cupboard some way away.

"I didn't know what it was..." I say weakly. An unfamiliar sound comes from England's direction. He's... Laughing? "It's snow, love. Frozen water that falls from the sky. It's very cold, and dangerous if you stay In it for too long." His voice grows more serious towards the end. "You could've gotten very sick Iyla...you could've died." He says quietly. I look up as he wraps me in the warm blankets he took out of the cupboard. "Sorry..."

"It's alright love, you didn't know." He takes my hand in his.

"Bloody hell Iyla! You're soaked through!" England yelps. He grabs a towel and starts drying me off, and I bite my lip, trying to cover the blush dusting my face. "I can do that myself you know..."

"No, you need to warm up if I'm going to take you to the world meeting. Are you feeling ill at all?" I shake my head no, and shiver as England's hand glides up my back, drying me off. "Good. Well, you should be alright. But don't do that again!" I nod again. "You might want to change..." I get up, and walk over go the door.

"England?" He looks up from making a cup of tea. "Thanks. For helping me out." I look away, trying to hide my slight blush. England looks away. "I can't let you get hurt, France would kill me. Not like that french wanker could take me on!" He adds as an afterthought. Smiling, I head upstairs and change into black leggings and a white long sleeved top, pulling on a jeans jacket over it. Coming downstairs, England is waiting by the door. As he hears me coming, he turns, looks me up and down, and then whips his head back around. "Shall we go?" England nods stiffly.

"Yes." Smiling, I walk outside.

"So where is the meeting?"

"North Italy is hosting; we're going to have to nation jump." I cock my head.

"Nation jump?"

"The nations can 'jump' between countries; it's like teleportation. But we can't do it too often, or for too far, since it tires us out." I pout.

"I can't do that! I can only fly..." England raises an eyebrow.

"And manipulate the flow of energy through the universe, dangle people upside down, shoot energy balls..." He continues for about a minute before I slam a hand over his mouth. "Ok! I get the point!" He delicately moves away from my hand, before taking it in his. "Hold on." Grasping his hand in my own, I try to avoid concentrating on how close we are, or the fact that our very skin is touching. For a second, nothing happens. But then i am falling through darkness, wind whipping through my hair. With a jolt, I feel hard pavement beneath my feet, and upon opening my eyes find that I'm standing on a warm street by the sea. I sway a little, and England steadies me. "Whoa... That was weird..."

"Careful Iyla. First jump is normally uncomfortable." England pulls me down the street. "This way."

"Could you get me some tea Iyla? Please?" I raise my eyebrows.

"I'm not your bloody slave England." Walking away, I call over my shoulder: "Only this once! Ok?" I move towards the machine a while away, and spot a young boy in sailor's clothing. "Well hello there little one. What's your name?" He looks up at me, and I am drawn to his side by his overall cuteness. Sapphire eyes peer at me. "I'm sealand! And I'm a country!" An English accent chirps. I smile, and scoop him in my arms.

"I'm sure you are! My name is Iyla, and I'm the North Star." His eyes widen.

"So you're the one that big brother England used to talk about in the evenings when I lived with him! He used to say that he knew a girl with amazing powers, and that she was a bright star, lighting up the darkness!" I blush and intake a breath.

"He said that about me?"

"Yeah! Well... Sort of. Not those words though.I kinda thought that he liked that girl!" I blush more furiously and pick sealand up as he squirms. "Hey, come on, put me down!" I smile.

"Come on, you know you like it. So why are you out here when all the other nations are in the meeting?" Sealand frowns sadly.

"The other nations don't think I'm a country because I'm too small..." I frown as well.

"If England's your big brother, he should be looking after you, don't you think?" He nods.

"Yes..." I flip him onto my back as he squeals. I let out a yelp of pain. "Oh, careful sealand! You hit where my wings come out, and that hurt..." He flinches, and moves his hands, but his eyes retain their shine. "Sorry Iyla! Do you really have wings?" I laugh as I walk to the meeting room. " I do, little one." Pushing open the door, I move to a seat next to England, with sealand on my lap. He scowls. "Sealand, what the hell are you doing in here! I've already told you, you can't be a nation!" I narrow my eyes angrily.

"Now see here! I don't know much about family, considering I don't have one myself, but I'm pretty sure that brothers look after eachother, and don't push them away!" England's eyes widen, as does everybody else's in the room. I grab a random person by the leg (not literally) and dangle them in the air with my magic. Sealand yelps with laughter. "Shut your mouths unless you want to end up like him!" I shout furiously, before dropping the guy and sinking into my seat. Germany gets up. "Vell, now that dats over vith... Now hold on! Von of us is missing!" I raise my eyebrows. I count eight, minus me, sealand, france and flying mint bunny, who is currently flapping around England's ears. _I don't think he knows I can see it,_ I realize with a giggle. America stands up,and shouts. "The hero America is here; nothing else matters!" I thump him on the head.

"Turn down the ego, jeez!"

"The easiest vay to do it vould be a head count."

"I'll do it: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven! There's supposed to be nine- well, eight, of us!" England exclaims. I cock my head.

"But there is..." England stares, as do the rest of the nations: Germany, Italy, china, Japan, America and Russia. France is fashionably late, as per usual. "Hey, guys?" A quiet voice says. "Maybe you're looking for me?" I smile.

"Hey Canada," I say softly. "Long time no see." Canada opens his mouth in surprise.

"Maple! Iyla, is that you?" I get up and hug him.

"Hey buddy."

"Iyla..? Who are you talking to?" England asks tentatively. I throw my arms out in exasperation.

"Not this again! It's Canada, dumbasses! Jeez, you're so rude!"

"Can- oh right!" I facepalm, before I sense something and lift my head, staring at Canada and America.

"You two..." America laughs.

"Yeah! The hero has a brother! Awesome, right?" I shake my head.

"It's not that... Your soul signatures have changed slightly... They're actually..." My eyes widen. "Closer to mine..." America and Canada exchange furtive glances, almost too quick for me to see.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Canada says quietly.

"Uhhh... What's a soul signature?" America asks loudly.

"For gods sake America... Lets just get on with the meeting." At that moment, France bursts in and slings his arms around me, nuzzling my neck. I slap him harshly. "Get the feck off me!" He stumbles back, smirking.

"Ah, Iyla! Ça va? What did you do with angleterre? Oh! And I figure you might want this." he hands me a rectangular thing. "It's a phone Iyla, you 'aven't seen one before. Tout our numbers are on there already, ok?" I roll my eyes.

"I'm good, and thank you. And I saw snow for the first time! It's so cold... But so beautiful!" I exclaim, recalling the memory from earlier. "Ve, Iyla, that vas your first snow?" I smile at Italy and nod. America suddenly jumps up. "Oh yeah! I totally forgot to give you guys these!" He picks up a pile of envelopes and begins to hand them out.

"What are these, you twit?" America doesn't flinch.

"They're invites! I'm throwing a massive blowout christmas party! You guys have gotta come! And iggy! You totally have to bring Iyla!" England sets off, and I facepalm. _He has the. Shortest. Temper. Ever._ "Now see here you American twat! How many times do I have to bloody tell you not to call me that! And what's more, it's January!" England continues to rant for a while before he notices my raised hand. He stops, composes himself and asks: "what is it Iyla?" I cock my head.

"What is Christmas?" America's mouth falls open to the floor, and I get the feeling that I shouldn't have asked that. As he begins to talk about it (I mean shout) I realize. _Yeah. Definitely shouldn't have asked._

Yeah, Iyla, not the smartest move on your part to ask about Christmas. And we get Sealand! He's so cute XD and what's up with America and Canada?


	4. Chapter 4

Hetalia! I don't own it. TT

I scamper back into England's house, with sealand in hand. I had to beg to get him here, but I managed. "Iyla! Come play with me!" He shouts. I shake my head, smiling.

"I can't little one, I have to stay down here, ok?" Sealand looks momentarily saddened, before running upstairs. "He's quite obviously taken a shine to you," England remarks.

I grin. "He's adorable."

England sighs. "Blast all, another meeting wasted doing nothing." I nod, recalling the past hours of fights and insults." Tea?" I gesture to the floating, steaming kettle of tea next to me. England jumps. "How- I shouldn't ask. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, hm Iyla?" I smile and nod.

"Are we going to be going to America's party?"

England sighs. "We have to, or he'll come to us with his puppy eyes," he says, scowling. I grin and jump in the air.

"Hell yeah! Thanks England!" I leap forward and hug him, before realising what I've done and begin to pull away. But I am stopped by his breathtaking eyes. For centuries, we are trapped with my arms around his neck, gazing into eachother's eyes intently, our bodies far too close, yet not close enough. My breath catches before releasing in shallow bursts, and goosebumps Cover my body. electricity, possibly caused by me, Fizzes around us. Diamonds clash against emeralds. Suddenly, I come back to earth, shocked into waking with the crash of a pot i must have broken, and sprint away, my powers giving me super speed. Leaning against the wall in the attic, I catch my breath again. _What just happened... _My mind fumbles as it tries and fails to comprehend previous events.

_What... He didn't pull away._ That is the first coherent thought in my mind. _He didn't pull away. Could he... Could what sealand said... Be true?_ I shake my head, hardly believing that such thoughts are in my mind. I always liked England, from the beginning and nothing ever came of it. But... _Get a grip Iyla! _I move towards one of the huge floor to ceiling windows, and shatter the glass, pulling the shards out. Stepping through them, I jump out of the window from the fourth floor, throwing out a hand to pull the shards back together. I allow the feeling of falling to hold me, before spreading my wings and soaring up into the grey sky, flying with snowflakes. The sharp air clears my mind, cutting through the fog like a knife of brightest steel. White ground slips past me as I move close to the ground, close enough to see my winged shadow. Suddenly, I feel my wings begin to stiffen, and I tense, recalling England's words. '_It's snow, love. Frozen water that falls from the sky. It's very cold, and dangerous if you stay In it for too long.'_ I suck in a breath, guessing that my wings are freezing. This...is bad. Really bad. Because:

1. They'll get stuck, and I'm going way too fast for a safe landing.

2. Each feather has blood in it, so if these get too cold, the feather will drop off, and that will get very, very, VERY Messy.

_Crap. Crap. Crap crap crap._ The ground rapidly approaches and I brace myself. _Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap_. I'm going to hit really hard. _CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP_

I hit the ground, knocking the wind out of me. Suddenly, I become aware of a piercing pain in my right wing. _Oh no. Oh please no. Stars above no._ Shaking slightly, I move my head, and nearly cry. A few feathers are missing, and there is blood fecking everywhere. I'm screeeeeewwwwwed. Getting up, I wince, and begin to trek back towards England's house, which has such large grounds that I haven't left them yet. "Iyla!" A childish voice squeals. I smile weakly. "Hey little one. Are you ok?" Sealand grins.

"I sure am! I was just playing with my transformers over here..." I smile, before staggering in pain, falling to my knees, silver blood trickling down my back in streams. "Iyla! What happened! You're covered in mercury!" Sealand crouches by me. I manage a half laugh. "That's my blood sealand..." His eyes widen in shock.

"I'll go get England!" He runs in the direction of the house.

"Sealand, wait..." I sigh. "England's going to kill me." I move to my feet, and begin to walk to the house. Damn it! I grit my teeth. I won't be able to fly for ages. "Iyla!" A voice shouts from a distance. I look up to see England sprinting in my direction, closely followed by sealand. I hang my head and allow my knees to buckle beneath me. "Iyla! Are you- oh no..." England cuts off at the sight of my silver covered skin. He scoops me up without a word and turns back to the house. I am quite content to lie here, my eyes fluttering shut from the pain. "Iyla? You need to keep awake Iyla, so I know you're alright. Ok?" I pull my eyes open again.

"I'm alright?"

"Not sure." We enter the house, into my room, England pushing sealand out and laying me down gently. "Iyla, I need you to tell me what happened. Now." I wince at his sharp tone.

"I... A few feathers froze and fell off... I was flying outside..." England curses.

"Damnit Iyla! You need to be more careful!" At that moment, a particularly painful wave washes over me, forcing a cry out of me. England rushes over. "Easy, love. Relax, alright?" I nod slightly.

"Alright." England pulls out a set of white bandages, and proceeds to cut them with a large pair of scissors. He then mixes a powder with water, forming a rather gloppy mess. "What's that?" I ask weakly.

"It's a type of glue which will keep the bandages on, and clean the wounds." I nod.

"You've dealt with this before?" England half laughs.

"Not exactly this, but I've dealt with arterial and vein damage before, if that's what you're asking. Now, here goes the first one..." He lays one of the soaked strips on my wound, causing me to arch my back in pain, holding back a scream of pain. "Feck that hurts..." I mutter. England flinches.

"Sorry." I shake my head.

"It's ok, go on." He places another, and I grit my teeth to silence my painful cries. This continues for a few minutes, before England sits back, saying "done," and beginning to clear up the things. "Just let it all dry, ok?" I nod.

"How long until we can take them off?" England furrows his brow.

"I don't know exactly, but with your healing skills, I think about a month?" I lean my head back. A whole month... I groan. "Aw shit.."

"I reckon you should get to sleep now, no? It'll help as well." I lie back, staring at England as he puts away the bandages. Looking at him, you'd never think that he had seen hundreds of wars and hundreds of thousands of losses. His eyes, glinting emeralds, are still as clear as I remember, no fog of sadness clouding them. Stars know what they're hiding. He glances over my way, and I quickly close my eyes, slowing my breathing as if I was asleep. I hear him let out a small laugh, before making his way towards me. My breath catches for a second as I feel gentle fingers brush away my hair from my face, ghosting on my skin. Quickly, his hand is snatched away and almost immediately, I miss the sensation. Hearing the door shut behind him, I open my eyes, wide, only one thought in my head.

_What the hell was that!? _

Awwwww! I don't know if I'm going anywhere with those two, save for that they're close, but... Who knows! And chappie is short because of reasons.

(Actually it's just becuase it sounds better if I cut there.)

reviews are adored and greatly coveted! Flames, not so much.


	5. Chapter 5

*Listening to marukaite chikkiyu* oh hey guys! I wish I owned this song. And hetalia. But I don't. TT

The next morning

I awake to a young voice talking to me. Sleepily, I open my eyes, finding sealand reading from an open book. "Hey sealand," I say weakly. "What are you doing?" Sealand whips his head up, a look of joy spreading across his face as he hugs me tightly. "Oh, jeez! Sealand.. I can't breathe!" I gasp, and he releases me quickly.

"Oh Iyla! I was so worried about you! Thank goodness you're alright! Wait, I should get England! Don't Move!" And with that, he rushes out of my room. I laugh, rolling my eyes. "Sure, not like I can go anywhere," I say to the empty room. A few moments later, I remember the events of yesterday. _England brushing back my hair... And our hug... _I blush furiously. _What am I supposed to do now? Do I just act like nothing happened? Godammit. _Just then, England enters, followed by a hyper sealand, his toys in hand. "Good morning Iyla. How are you feeling?" I stretch out.

"Better... Still sore though..." England nods.

"Too sore to go to the party this evening?" I sit bolt upright, causing me to curse in pain. "AW FRICK!" I take a breath. "I'm ok..the party is this evening?!" England nods, scowling. "The twat never had much prowess in timing." I roll my eyes.

"Come on, he's not that bad." England closes his eyes, not responding. "I'm well enough, I think..." England cocks his head.

"Just be careful." I smile, swinging my legs around so I can stand up.

"I'll be fine; I've got you to tell me anyway!" England raises an eyebrow.

"Hey! Hey! England! Can I come?" Sealand squeals. Before England can open his mouth, I jut in.

"I'm afraid not, little one. You're not really old enough for it, and its far too late." Sealand scrunches up his face. "But I'm sure I can stay up!" I smile, an idea appearing in my mind.

"Alright then." Both England's and sealand's mouths drop to the ground.

"What!? Iyla, are you insane?!"

"Yes! Thank you so much!" Sealand hugs my legs, before running off. England rounds on me.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?!" I stumble back, my wings weighted by bandages making me lose my balance. England quickly steadies me, holding a hand behind my back. My breath hitches. _Stars above, I need to get a grip._ I grin, trying to cover my blush. "He won't even be awake for the way there England. He'll be asleep before we even leave!" England stops, and does a double take. Seconds later, he folds me in a tight squeeze. "You, miss North Star, are a bloody genius." I grin, and begin to pull away, until our eyes meet. Immediately, i flash back to yesterday, and freeze. "I...I think I should probably get changed..." England pulls away, nodding, and closes the door. As soon as he leaves, I slide down a wall. _What's the matter with me?! _ I take a breath, trying to relax. Getting up, i pull on a pair of jeans and a white top; I can change later. Now, what to do... _Sealand's gone back to his place, England is probably working somewhere, so... One thing to do: explore!_ I grin. _This place is huge! _Walking carefully down the stairs, I come out to the main hall, and take a random door, smiling like a child. Immediately, I am hit with the smell of sawdust and metal. _Hmm... A workshop, I guess?_ Probably left over from his years when he had to make weapons for war. The thought saddens me, and I leave. I wonder if he ever goes in there anymore. Next, I come into a small room which looks like a turkey,stuffed inside a pizza, wrapped in flour, exploded. _Kitchen_, I think, smirking. _He really can't cook._ I don't remember trying anything myself, but France told me that it was lethal. _It can't be that bad... Can it?_ Moving away, I spot a modern looking set of double doors, contrasting with the antique aura of the rest of the house. _What could be in there?_ I place my hands against the doors, and push. _Bloody hell! Why are they so heavy?_ Looking in, I spot the reason the doors were so difficult to open; they're padded with sound proofing materials. Why? The room is empty, save for some small dents in the walls, and a silver handle protruding from the nearby wall. I pull on it, but slam it back down in horror at what I see. Guns and pistols, some stained with blood, grouped with gore covered swords and other weapons. _A training range.._ How could I not see it? I turn away and scarper out of the room. I decide to turn up the staircase leading to my room, but investigate the rooms down the corridor. There are about eight or so, all of them locked tightly. _What the... _I come to the last one, and my curiosity gets the better of me. _Just one look Iyla, then leave._ Sensing out the lock, I turn and snap the mechanisms into the right place, and the door clicks open on old hinges. What is see makes me gasp, before smiling. The room is adorned in colours of red, blue, and white, making it easy to see who slept in the bed in the corner. _America's room... Of course! This is where the colonies stayed! _My breath hitches for a second as I remember Independence Day, and a throbbing pain begins in my head. Taking out my mobile, I speed dial America. "Hey howdy going! You've reached the heroic me!" I sigh.

"Hey America."

"Iyla! You okay? You sound a bit off..." I bite my lip.

"Yeah, about that. I was exploring the house, and i found all the colony's rooms." There is silence on the end of the line. "They're all locked, right?" I tilt my head.

"Yeah, but I unlocked yours-"

"DONT LOOK UNDER THE BED!" The scream pierces my ears, and I smirk manically.

"What are you hiding America..." I ask menacingly, moving towards the bed.

"OH GOD PLEASE IYLA DONT!" Snaking a hand under the bed, I feel a tray.

"Too late." I say sweetly, before pulling the tray out. What I see makes me scream with laughter.

"Oh god Iyla... Did you have to.." America groans. I laugh even harder, moving into hysterical sobs of mirth. "TOYS! AH MON DIEU, SACRE VIERGE! Vous étiez si peur de moi recherche et il s'avère que c'est juste votre collection de NOUNOURS! et qui plus est, vous avez eu ces lorsque vous étiez un adolescent! certains d'entre eux sont dans votre lit aussi bien! avez-vous dormi avec eux?" I howl with laughter, teasing in French down the line to the silent American. "Just don't tell anyone, ok?" America sounds resigned. I smile, before returning to a smirk. "Sure. I'll definitely bring them when we watch a horror movie though: need someone to snuggle with?" I laugh even more.

"I hate you Iyla." I can hear that he's not actually upset.

"No you don't, you love me. See ya at the party this evening!" I hang up, still shaking with laughter. I haven't laughed so hard in ages. _Ok... Need to lock the door again. _Closing the door, I turn the mechanism again and the lock closes tightly. "Now, where to go..." I know that England's study is off to the right staircase, but what else is there? Besides, I already know the other rooms. I run down the left stairs before coming up to the right. I creep past an open door before turning around a corner and spotting one set of grand doors. _Huh. What could..._I place my hands against it and push. The doors swing open easily, and I gasp at the sight inside. _It's...a library. _The place is huge, with two levels, and every conceivable space covered in aged tomes. I walk over to the large globe in the middle, and trace the outlines of the countries I know so well. _There's Spain.. So that's France...so Germany is there...Italy is down there...America, well that's easy. China and japan are off to the east... And England is up there. So I'm right now..._I place my finger on a spot on the uk. _But I'm normally... _I sigh, reminded of the fact that I don't really belong here, that however much I wish it to be, I'm not like them. _I wonder, does he have a constellation map? _Casting my eyes heavenwards, I gasp before laughing. _I guess he does. _The ceiling is a map of the stars, covered in glowing dots of the heavens. I raise a hand, my gaze and finger resting in the direction of Ursae Minoris. Polaris. My star. _Please... don't ever let me go back there. I don't want to ever leave again. _I bite my lip, hard, before turning my eyes away from the painted skies. I scan the room, looking for anything interesting, and spot a bookcase hidden away from the rest of the library. In it, I find several books, all black without a title, and written in an old language. I'm guessing latin, or possibly Celtic? The only thing that shows a difference between the books is a tiny cross, drawn in chalk, at the base of their spines. _Huh. What could that mean? And why are they there? _The chalk looks relatively new...so England drew it. _Why? _I trace my eyes over the books until one piques my interest. _This one has a circle..._ I laugh out loud at the simplicity. _A moving bookcase! Of course. And England would keep forgetting which was the key book, so...the circle. _I cock my head. _Time to find out what this is about. _I latch my fingers around the book, and pull. I stumble a few steps back as the bookcase pulls out to reveal a dark and dank corridor. _Really England? How cliche can you get? _I take a step into the damp stone hall, and the bookcase closes behind me, the sudden sound making me jump. "Crap. I can't see _shit_." I curse out loud. Concentrating, I conjure up a small ball of light that floats in front of me, lighting the way. Better. I continue into the darkness until the space opens out into a large hall, dimly lit by candles. I only have to spot the sigil and chalk on the ground before I realise what this is. "Magic..." I whisper. I knew England could do it, but not to what extent. Sigil's themselves are difficult to make, let alone activate. I have to admit it, I'm impressed. Then I spot the smudged outlines of older Sigils and frown. _He makes a new one each time? Why doesn't he just edit the symbols on the rings...unless..._ I smirk. _He doesn't know how?_ I roll my eyes, face palming. The few magic users I know rarely know anything about how it works, which is why they keep on making mistakes. _Fail... _I decide to leave, turning to the dark corridor, summoning the ball of light again. _I wonder what England has been doing in there...probably cursing people, knowing his nature. He's just not good at expressing himself, so he feels awkward, so he wants to be left alone. He's gone though so much... _Remembering Independence Day again, I frown.

"Who's there?" A voice calls out from the darkness, and I scream out in fear, running the opposite direction and sending out blades of energy in the direction of my assailant, who cries out in surprise, rolling into the wall to escape the waves. I turn on them, and press a blade up to their throat before realising who it is. "Oh my stars, England?!" I yell, leaping off him. "Stars, you scared me! Are you ok? I didn't hit you, did I?" I let out a barrage of questions as I help England to his feet, my eyes worried. "Blast...I'm alright, you surprised me though... Next time, check who you're firing at! And what the bloody hell were you doing down here anyway!"

"Exploring!" I retort. "I was bored out of my crap!" England pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "Just...don't go places you're not supposed to." I roll my eyes.

"I'm not a little kid you know. I can be independent." As soon as the words leave my mouth, I bite my lip. _Crap. That was...GODAMMIT I DIDNT THINK! I'm so stupid.._ England doesn't react to my words, but the slight tensing of his soul signature and body is enough to tell me that I hit the nerve I wanted to avoid. _Shit_. We walk back into the main area of the house in silence.

"Do you want to go get changed? We're leaving soon." I raise my eyes.

"Yah, sure." I reply, before turning to the staircase. I walk up a few steps before coming to a sudden halt, stumbling down and falling to the bottom again. "Ow..."

"Iyla! Are you alright? What happened?" England asks. I laugh.

"Can you tell your friends, particularly flying mint bunny, not to suddenly appear on the stairs and scare the living daylights out of me?" England withdraws in shock.

"You can see them?" I roll my eyes.

"Well duh, magical being in front of you," I say.

"I see... I'll tell them." He says slowly. I smile, laughing a little, before running up the stairs.

"Thanks," I call down. Moving into my room, I lock the door and laugh to myself before realising that I am in crisis. And who to call in this kind of crisis? The ever perverted Frenchman. Whipping out my phone, I speed dial and brace myself for a few minutes of innuendos. "Hallo..."

"Ah bonjour Iyla! Ca va?" I groan.

"Hey France, listen, I need advice."

" advice? Mais, c'est pour l'Angleterre, Oui? Your great amour?"

"YOU SON OF A- Just... No. No."

"Mais come on Iyla, who are you to deny amour?"

"FOR GODS SAKE FRANCE! Just...listen. You know the party tonight?"

"Oui, so you want to impre-" I cut him off before he can annoy me any more.

"Ummm..." I brace myself for the large amount of French freaking out to come. Courage Iyla.. "I..dontreallyknowwhattowear!" I exclaim, very fast. There is a moment of silence. " umm.. France? You still there?"

" j'arrive." He hangs up. _Umm... That happened. _

Flying mint bunny! Yeah! And France! Hell yeah!

i always figured England had a secret room for magic and an obsession with cliches like moving bookcases. XD

Translations:

AH MON DIEU, SACRE VIERGE! Vous étiez si peur de moi recherche et il s'avère que c'est juste votre collection de NOUNOURS! et qui plus est, vous avez eu ces lorsque vous étiez un adolescent! certains d'entre eux sont dans votre lit aussi bien! avez-vous dormi avec eux?

AH MY GOD, You were so afraid of me looking and it turns out that it's just your collection TEDDIES! and what's more, you had these when you were a teenager! some of them are in bed as well! did you sleep with them? XD Iyla totally called it on America :) 


	6. Chapter 6

Ve... I don't have hetalia in my possession... :(

Just at that moment, there is a disturbance in the energy of the room, and I spin around to meet the eyes of France. "Bonjour, mademoiselle," he says, taking a bow. My eyes widen as I move to hug him.

"Hey France! How are you- wait!" I push him away. "You've got to get out of here! England's going to kill you if he finds out you're here!" France smirks.

"Okay then." Grasping my hand in his tightly, I gasp as we fall into nothing, before feeling solid ground underneath me. I pull away, glaring at him. "That was a dirty trick." He laughs.

"Mais Oui, but now I can properly do this. Better to do it properly than not, Oui?" I try to maintain my frown over my laughter, but I get the feeling I failed miserably. France takes my hand and the next thing i know, I am being dragged into a closet room. "You used to stay here, tu sais?" I bite my lip. _Here?_

"I'm sorry France... J'ai oublier." A flicker of sadness passes over his face before returning to his regular, perverted self. "So, what kind of a look are we going for?" He asks, his head buried in the wardrobe to the left. I blush. "Je ne sais pas... I'm not very good at this..." France snorts from within the cupboard. "I know, you'd always walk around in shorts and T-shirts. Absolument no fashion sense." I resist the overwhelming urge to kick France on the behind. Crossing my arms defensively, I sit on the floor. "So what do you suggest?" France pauses. "Ahhh...hein? C'est ou.. La! Voila!" He exclaims, pulling out a short black dress made of a floaty material. I allow it to glide through my hands. "C'est trés belle..." I murmur. France pushes the clothing into my arms and ushers me behind a screen. "Try it on!" He commands. I glare at him over the screens.

"If you dare try to look.." I raise a hand sparking with energy to carry my message. He smirks and nods. Struggling into the dress, I see that it fits me almost perfectly, coming to a halt at just before my knees. A small amount of glitter that is inlaid in the fabric makes me sparkle as I turn. Just then, i spot the beginnings of a hand snaking under the screen, and I waste no time in stamping on it. The muffled French curses on the other side make me smirk as I turn out to in front of the screens, eyes falling on France who is cradling his hand on the floor. "I did warn you, you know. How do I look?" As France looks up, his eyes widen for a moment before a warm smile takes over as he takes my hand, seating me on a chair. Running a white comb through my hair, he hums a small tune, and It takes me seconds to recognise it and join in, our calls answering each other. "It's been a long time since I did this for you, Iyla." I nod.

"Over two hundred years. Ow!" France winces.

"Désolé." Finishing with the comb, he gathers the sides of my hair, pulling them behind me and beginning to plait them, adding in a small white thing. "Eh? C'est quoi?"

"You'll see." Tying the plait off, he moves to another end of the room, retrieving a small silver box. "This was yours." He responds to my questioning look. A wave of discomfort washes over me. I hate not being able to remember; it's like everyone expects me to, like it's really important, but I just can't. Opening the box, a tiny box full of glitter snaps open, and I close my eyes out of instinct as he daubs some there. I guess I have done this before, although I can't say I'm comfortable with this. "Et voila. Parfait." France's voice breaks on the last word, and I whip around to see the beginnings of tears in his eyes. "Mais France!" I cry, throwing my arms around him.

"I'm sorry Iyla, I didn't want to get emotional, Mais.." I snort with laughter.

"You? Not be emotional? You've got to be kidding." France sniffs, before pulling away.

"Je suis ca va. Ok..." He fusses over my appearance for a moment. "Bon. Regarde!" He spins me to look in the mirror on the opposite wall, and i gasp. "Holy merde..." A shimmering white ribbon is interwoven into my honey gold hair, my eyes spark, and the dress glitters with sparkles. I can feel the energy and emotion (which are often synonymous in my case) Welling up in me, and I glow for a second, my form flickering as my true form threatens to show. I push it away, leaving me gasping. "Iyla? Qu'est que s'il passe?" I place up a hand, straightening up to show that I'm ok.

"I'm fine, just... Got a little over excited." France looks unconvinced. "Seriously! I'm fine." He shrugs. "If you say so. Alors, if this doesn't make angleterre drop dead for you, je ne sais pas what will." He declares as I blush from his teasing.

"Now, only one problem left."

"Hein? Quoi?" I look down.

"I can't nation jump." France laughs.

"That's all? Easy." He takes my hand, and we fall into darkness once again. Arriving, I stumble away, my eyes wide. "I,really, hate that." I say between gasps. "Merci pour tout France, c'est plus belle." I hug him tightly, kissing him on both cheeks.

"It's my pleasure. I'll see you in around 'alf an hour, ok?" I nod, smiling.

"Ok." And with that, he disappears out of sight.

"Iyla? Are you up there? It's time to go." A familiar voice calls out to me, and I run downstairs. "Iyla-" England's voice cuts off for a moment. "Well, there you are," he says uncertainly. My mouth drops open with england looking .Fuck, in a red top, black jeans, leather jacket and a small Union Jack scarf. I pull my mouth shut and grin, opening the door. "Do you think I look ok?" I ask. England looks away.

"...Better than ok." He says quietly. I smile.

"Thanks." Stepping outside, England takes a deep breath, looking slightly nervous. I cock my head in confusion. "Are you ok? What's the matter?"

"America's quite far away, so the jump is rather large. I'm just bracing myself." _Uh oh.. Maybe I could..._"hang on." I command, before closing my eyes. _Concentrate. Find the wavelength...there! Ok. Now... _I take a deep breath before making contact. Almost immediately, I am surrounded by a deep green aura. "Iyla! What the hell are you-"

_Hello England._ I think, smirking. He starts.

_You made a link. _

_Yah. _

_And it never occurred for you to ask?_

_Nope. Especially when I'm helping out. Just do the jump, you'll see._

_See what-_

_Just do it!_ England blinks, and takes my hand. The now slightly familiar falling sensation takes over, and I begin to send energy over the link. Quickly, I feel solid ground under me and I break the link, swaying from the loss. "Iyla!?" I look up, offering a small smile.

"That's my name."

"That, was incredibly stupid." I grin.

"Never going to do anything interesting if I don't do something stupid every once in a while." England shakes his head.

"You're insane."

"I believe that thanks would be in order," I say, raising an eyebrow while walking past England, taking off in a random direction. I hear a muttering behind me, and turn slightly, not slowing down. "What was that?" I smile sweetly. England frowns.

"I was saying, how the bloody hell do you know where you're going?" I toss my head and continue. "And don't do that again, if you'd fainted on me, I wouldn't know what to do." I hear ever so quietly behind me. I bite my lip. _Stars above, how do you keep on doing this to me? _"And thanks." I smile, slowing down so we match paces. Slowly, he turns to face me, and I grin, taking his hand and pulling him down the street. "Come on! Move your slow ass!" England frowns again, reverting to his default expression.

"You're acting like it's something to look forward to."

"Well duh! It is!"

XD england isn't looking forward to the party, but he does end up having a good time. Trust me.


	7. Chapter 7

Meh, how many different ways can I make up that say that I don't, unfortunately, own hetalia. Oh wow, I just made one.

I knock on the door, but I highly doubt that America can hear me over the sound of the high volume pop music that issues from the door.

_YO, AMERICA! _

_Whoa! Iyla you scared me! Don't do that!_

_If you don't want me to, open the door._ Sure enough, the door opens to America dressed in a bright T-shirt and brown shorts. He grins and waves, beckoning us in. "Hey Iggy! Wassup Iyla!" I grin back, and sling an arm around his shoulders.

"I'm great, you?"

"Couldn't be better! You know only someone as heroic as me could've made this party! ...Oh wow."

"What?"

"You...look really good." I blush, flattered that America (the most self centred person in the world) actually took the time to look. "U-uh thanks,"

"I'm serious! I bet iggy's gonna go wild for you. It's been 200 years waiting... So you...don't remember why you left?" I glance left and right.

"Ok, I'm only telling you because you're practically my best friend." America nods, and leans in. "I-i do remember. I remember the revolution... And I remember getting shot." America draws back.

"Why did you pretend that you didn't-"

"I didn't want England to freak out! He'd probably start acting all weird!" America frowns.

"I hate to say it, but you're probably right. "

"You're a lot more intelligent than people give you credit for, you know. But all that's dead and gone in the , who are we waiting for-" I am cut off as someone yells my name.

"IYLA!" Recognising the person in front of me, I run up and hug them super tight.

"Italia! How are you doing?" I ask as I release him.

"Ve, I'm good, especially since big brother Romano is here!" I raise my eyebrows.

"Romano?" Italy nods, his curl bouncing.

"Ve! He was so surprised when I told him that you were here, he squeezed the tomato he was holding so hard that it squirted in his face! He used some crazy language too!" I laugh out loud, the image in my head absolutely perfect. Italy takes my hand, pulling me off into a corner, where a figure is lurking. "Come on! This-a way!"

"Huh-whoa whoa, Italy!" Just then, a darker voice comes out of the corner.

"Italy, what are you doing?" I smirk. That's Romano.

"He's bringing the one and only North Star." Roma immediately looks up, his eyes widening.

"Iyla- star bastard?!" I snort.

"Sup pizza prat. Whatcha doing in a corner?" Romano stands up, looking me up and down in shock.

"So, my little brother wasn't just blabbering nonsense as usual. And I'm staying away from tomato and potato bastard." I roll my eyes.

"Come on, enjoy yourself! If you don't, I'll..."

"You'll do what, star bastard?"

"I'll curse you with bad cooking for a month." Roma steps back, as does Italy.

"V-ve, that's a little harsh, no?" Italy stutters.

"Then move your behind! Come on, I know you both can dance!" Italy nods excitedly.

"Ve, come on Romano!" Just then, a loud voice shouts out behind me, and I spin around to meet shining blue and violet eyes. "Yo Iyla! We're gonna start with the music soon!" I grin.

"Epic! Hey Canada!" Said nation jumps, probably surprised from being noticed.

"H-hi Iyla, how are you?" I tug gently on his curl.

" I'm great, you enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah! there's pancakes over there, which is nice..." I smile, before looking around and frowning. "Hey, America, where's England?" America shrugs nonchalantly.

"No clue, probably in a corner cursing people." I give him a shove. America holds his hands up in protest.

"Jeez, sorry for insulting your boyfriend," he says smirking. I blush, before grinning maniacally and throwing him into the wall. He groans as i double over with laughter, dancing around. "That's what you get!" He opens one eye, staring warily at me as he straightens his glasses. I roll my eyes and help him to his feet, before looking around. "There's a lot of godamn people here!" I exclaim. America laughs.

"No shit! I practically invited everyone! Now just hang on and explore for a bit before I start the music, I gotta hunt down Austria for his tunes. But don't worry, the hero will find him!" America gives me a thumbs up in his signature pose before taking off in a random direction. I roll my eyes, before going in a random door. _Well, he did say explore. _The door opens out into a long hallway with several doors, which lead to a few bedrooms, a gigantic (and I mean titanic) TV room, bathroom, and so on. _Huh. I guess there's nothing interesting here-_ I pause and prick my ears at the sound of a piano being played down the hall. The tune is...familiar. I half walk, half run down the hall and peek through the door to spot a posh looking man with glasses playing a sleek black grand piano. I lean my head against the door, drinking in the melody. _Where have I heard it?_ Just then, the door _(what an ass) _decides to creak and the playing stops abruptly. "Hey you, over there." I peek around the door.

"Me?" The man nods impatiently.

"Yes you; you can come and sit down if you want to listen, you know." I start in surprise before smiling and move into the room, which is surprisingly empty, save for the piano and a black case in a corner. "Are you a new nation? A colony maybe? I'm Austria." Said country holds his hand out to shake, and I take it.

"Hi. Sorry to disturb you during your playing, it was really good. And my name is Iyla and...I'm the North Star." Contrary to my expectations, Austria simply nods and gestures to a seat behind him as he begins to play again, without the music written down in front of him. _That tune...blast, what is it? _Just then, I hear a tiny ripple in the music, A minute mistake that would go barely noticed normally. However, my ears prick up and the words are out of my mouth before I've even thought of them. "It's F sharp." Austria turns to me.

"What? What did you say?" I come up next to him.

"The chord you want: it's F sharp minor." Laying three fingers on the keys, I play the notes. Austria blinks.

"Do you play the piano?" I shrug.

"No idea." Then a sudden thought occurs to me. "Hey, hang on. Isn't this a duet piece originally?" Austria nods. "Yes. Can you play it?" My eyes widen, and I begin to shake my head before my gaze catches on the keys. Slowly, familiarity surrounds them, and I nod. I am greeted with a warm (and presumably rare) smile. "Good. Sit down, it's been a long time since I've played this with someone else." I bite my lip.

"Sorry if I make any mistakes." Austria places my hands on the keys.

"Just continue." I nod, and count to three under my breath. The next moments fly by like fleeting glimpses of birds. My hands ripple up the piano, down again, creating a melody which intertwines with the one of the man next to me. When we finally finish with a flourish, I am breathless. Austria turns to me. "You're incredibly good Iyla. And it seems our audience thinks so too." _Audience? _I turn and see that America, Germany, the Italy brothers, Spain, china, Japan, Russia, France and some other European countries that I can't even name are nodding behind me. Letting out a slight gasp, I blush and sit on the floor with a poof as some of the nations begin to file out. "Yo Iyla! You were so epic! And you found Austria! Of course, I knew where he was all along, because I'm the hero!" I roll my eyes.

"Of fecking course you did. Hey Germany, china, Japan, France, Mario bros." Said bros laugh (in one case) and scowl (in the other). "Ve! You were really good Iyla!"

"Ja, you have a talent there." I blush further.

"Um, In my memories, I could play almost any instrument..." France nods.

"Oui, it's true. You 'ad an obsession with music and would get your hands on it anytime you could. Of course, your favourite thing to do was sing." America nods ecstatically.

"Yeah! You and I used to sing together a lot actually!" I cock my head and remember something else. "Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask you; what's in the case over there?" I point in the direction of the case I spotted on my way in. America's gaze clouds for a second, but dissipates as we both walk over to the box. America flicks the lid open, and my eyes widen slightly. "Do you play it?" America nods.

"When did you learn?" He refuses to meet my eyes, frowning.

"From iggy." He says quietly. "We used to play duets a lot, until..." I bite my lip. Until the revolution. "I think I played for you once actually." I glance upwards, and dig into my mind. I blink, an expression of glee spreading across my face. "I-I remember that!" America grins in surprise.

"Hey, that's awesome!" I nod.

"I remember England playing for me as well, actually. Do you think... Could you play? Now?" America glances down at the violin for a moment, before a glint in his eye shows and I know I've got him. "Sure! I'm the hero, I can do anything, anytime!" With that, America grips the instrument around the neck and places it against his own, practising a few strokes with his bow. I blink. _Such a nice sound... _Taking my seat at the piano, I begin, and America joins quickly. Goosebumps raise on my skin as the melodies intertwine and I smile giddily at America, who grins back. We finish on the same note, and I get up and swing my arms around America. "THAT WAS SO FREAKING AWESOME!" I yell. America pulls his fist down in success kid pose, grinning. "I know right! Now come on, the party needs the heroic me!" And with that, America slings me up over his shoulder as I loudly protest and jogs into the room where the nations have settled and are waiting for the music. Depositing me on the edge of the stage, America climbs up, grabbing the microphone. _He's gonna sing?_ I smile encouragingly. "Yo Iyla! This song used to be one of your favourites!" As the song begins, nations begin to cheer and dance; this is obviously a well known song.

**There was a time**

**I used to look into my father's eyes.**

**In a happy home**

**I was a king, I had a golden throne. **

As the beat builds up, I begin to recognise some of the melodies in the song. Could it be that I have heard this before?

**Those days are gone,**

**Now the memory's on the wall.**

**I hear the songs**

**From the places where I was born.**

My breath hitches and I look up, scrambling to my feet as the memory comes rushing back, the lyrics as easy on my tongue as the notes on the piano. America's eyes widen as I join in, before changing to a bright eyed grin, moving the microphone between us.

_**Upon a hill across a blue lake,**_

_**That's where I had my first heartbreak.**_

_**I still remember how it all changed.**_

_**My father said,**_

_**"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.**_

_**See heaven's got a plan for you.**_

_**Don't you worry, don't you worry now."**_

_**Yeah!**_

_**Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.**_

_**See heaven's got a plan for you.**_

_**Don't you worry, don't you worry now.**_

_**Yeah!**_

**There was a time**

**I met a girl of a different kind.**

**We ruled the world,**

**I thought I'd never lose her out of sight.**

Joining in, I sing an octave higher.

**_We were so young,_**

**_I think of her now and then._**

**_I still hear the songs_**

**_Reminding me of a friend._**

**_Upon a hill across a blue lake,_**

**_That's where I had my first heartbreak._**

**_I still remember how it all changed._**

**_My father said,_**

**_"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child._**

**_See heaven's got a plan for you._**

**_Don't you worry, don't you worry now."_**

**_Yeah!_**

**Oh**, _oh_, **_oh!_**

On the final of the notes that we exchange, I sing an octave higher. The effect is immediate: America's eyes light up completely in joy, before taking my hands and swinging me around in a circle. I laugh giddily. _I guess I sung like that before._

**_See heaven's got a plan for you_**

**_Don't you worry, don't you worry, child._**

**_See heaven's got a plan for you._**

**_Don't you worry, don't you worry now._**

**_Yeah!_**

**_Oh, oh, oh! _**

**_Yeah!_**

To clarify, bold is America, italics is Iyla, the two together are, well yeah.

The song is don't you worry child by Swedish house mafia, I don't own this either. TT

music and art by the way is my heart and soul, so expect at least three more songs :)


	8. Chapter 8

No own hetalia TT

As we finish, America holds my hand up in the air before turning to me, lifting me straight off the ground. I shriek with laughter, feeling almost drunk on happiness. "That, was incredible." I say between breaths; the singing leaving me quite breathless. America nods ecstatically. "That... It's been way too long since we last did that."

"So we did that often?...I can see why!" I exclaim. America pulls me over to where Austria is sitting with the music. "You have quite the musical talent Iyla; first the piano and then this." He comments. I blush, smiling.

"Thanks."

"Yo Iyla! You up for another round?" I roll my shoulders.

"Hell yeah!" America bends over the Playlist.

"Now that's what I like to hear!" The next piece of music bring more cheers and two figures clambering on stage. "Now this is mine!"

"Ve! Me too!" I laugh.

"Italy? Romano?" Both nod enthusiastically. I close my eyes, and a memory brings itself to light. "You two were really good! I remember!" Grinning, I push America off the stage.

"Sorry buddy, but we're being invaded by Italy!" Romano smirks.

"So, the star, the rap god, and the Italian. This is gonna be epic." I comment. "Italy, you and me together?" He nods and stands next to me. Romano takes a breath, and what comes out leaves me laughing so hard it hurts.

**Everybody know Juicy always turnt up**

**Tour bus smoked out, everybody purped up**

**9 to 5 grind and got the whole hood worked up**

**Ain't getting money then you better get your work up**

**Pull up in a Porsche drunk, back seat chauffeur**

**Taylor Gang in here, everybody know us**

**Hundred bottles, and there's more coming**

**Same shit tomorrow night, all I know is stunting**

**20 shot of Jager, I don't do chasers**

**White boy wasted, smoking out the vaper**

**Party with your girl, sweating out my pores**

**Becky so good, I had to thank the Lord**

**She won my heart, in the club she go hard**

**Shake her ass and titties, I threw my card**

**Love California girls like David Lee Roth**

**You tell em that you love em**

**I say, 'Take it off'**

_I hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums_

_Oh, what a shame that you came here with someone_

_So while you're here in my arms_

_Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young_

_We're gonna die young_

_We're gonna die young_

_Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young_

**No changing us**

**Ball so hard, it's not a game to us**

**Pull up in the club throwing Taylor's up**

**Spending cause money ain't a thing to us**

**But for the famous stuff, I wasn't the one to play with**

**Party all night, getting drunk and raging**

**Ball so hard, I think I'm gonna be sick**

**Wake up, roll a joint and do it all again**

**Yeah, I like to party**

**Got a cute face and I like your body**

**You leave sober and you might be sorry**

**Pour another shot then light the Marley**

**And what goes down, don't bring it up**

**Tell them broke niggas they can hang it up**

**Take six shots, feels like we're dying**

**Hit this once, feels like you're flying**

_I hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums_

_Oh, what a shame that you came here with someone_

_So while you're here in my arms_

_Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young_

_We're gonna die young_

_We're gonna die young_

_Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young_

Won't stop cause it's my time, time

I'm staying on my grind, grind

You tryna take my shine, shine?

Step back, bye bye

When I rap, all the boys go cray cray

Every time that I jump on the stage

Oh, you like it when I'm in your face?

And if you don't, man, whatcha gonna say?

_Looking for some trouble tonight _

_Take my hand, I'll show you the wild side_

_Like it's the last night of our lives_

_We'll keep dancing 'till we die_

Clapping my hands to the beat, slowly every single nation joins in. "Come on everybody, all together on this one!" I call. Goosebumps raise on my arms as I hear the voices of so many join in one song.

I hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums

Oh, what a shame that you came here with someone

So while you're here in my arms

Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_(We're gonna die young)_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_(We're gonna die young)_

_Whoa-oh, whoa-oh_

_Like we're gonna die young_

_**Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young**_

With a whoop, we finish and grinning from ear to ear, I hug Italy. "Ve, I told you your voice was nice!" I look back at him.

"Yours too; you've actually got a really strong singing voice! You should do a solo later!" Italy goes a little pink. "Ve, I don't know..." Just then, I spot someone trying to slink off stage, and I sling an arm around them.

"Don't touch me!" I snort.

"Look at me. Ok?" Slowly, Romano meets my eyes. With that, I hug him as tight as I did to Italy, and he squirms trying to get out of my grip. Laughing, I look back at him and hold my fist up for a brofist. "Rap god. Huh, the title suits you." Romano blinks, before returning the brofist. A rare smile crosses his face, before frowning at a Spanish accented voice calling him. "Argh, bloody tomato bastard...Iyla help me!" I raise an eyebrow.

"Hey Spain! He's over here!" Romano scowls at me, his eyes wide in shock.

"Why you little..." He hisses. I snort with laughter and make a run for the edge of the stage where America is standing. Scooping me up, he laughs loudly. "You did so well! Nice!" I grin.

"Like a boss! Now put me down!" America shakes his head, and still laughing, throws me over his shoulder as he makes an announcement. "Hey guys! We're gonna take a little break from all the dancing stuff, so enjoy yourselves, take a seat and eat!" With that, I am lowered to the ground. "Yo Iyla! Come and get a hamburger! Or three!" I raise my eyebrows. _What was I expecting?_

"In a bit America, I want to find where England's gone."

"Worried about your boyfriend huh? Ah well, your loss." With that, he turns to make a pig of himself at the table while I blush like one of Spain's tomatoes. _Jeez, thanks America. Now I look like a dork. Why can't they lay off? _

_Now... Where could England be? _Skirting my eyes around the large room, I spot a figure hiding in the shadows around a corner, just as the next song starts up: A sky full of stars by Coldplay. Humming as I walk, I make my way to the corner, but stop abruptly as I hear someone singing. _Is that...England singing!?_ Slamming behind the corner, I put my head back and listen. _It's definitely him. Who would have thought..._

'_Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars_

_I'm gonna give you my heart_

_'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars_

_'Cause you light up the path_

_I don't care, go on and tear me apart_

_I don't care if you do, ooh_

_'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars_

_I think I saw you_

_'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars_

_I wanna die in your arms_

_'Cause you get lighter the more it gets dark_

_I'm gonna give you my heart_

_I don't care, go on and tear me apart_

_I don't care if you do, ooh_

_'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars_

_I think I see you_

_I think I see you_

_You're a sky, you're a sky full of stars_

_Such a heavenly view_

_You're such a heavenly view_

As the song ends, my eyes shine. _How could nobody have noticed how good he was? _A long sigh comes from around the corner, and I can't help myself, throwing my arms around him. "WHATTHEBLOODYHELLFRANCEIFTHATSYOUBLOODYWANKERIWILL- Iyla!?" Moving away, England straightens himself out, composing himself. "How long where you standing there?" I smile gently.

"The entire time." A light dusting of pink covers his cheeks, and I allow myself to grin at the sight. _He looks waaaaay too cute when he blushes... Stars, that was weird._ Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I drag a struggling England over to where the rest of the nations are. "Iyla, I am quite capable of going wherever the bloody hell I want to go!" Shrugging, I move to America.

"Sorry, don't care. Be social!" Pushing the grumbling nation in front of me, I grin at America and Canada, who is floating beside him. "Hey guys! Look what I found!" I announce, grabbing a glass of water. America ruffles England's hair, who promptly beats him away. "Yo, Iggy eyebrows!" Upon hearing this, I inhale half my drink up my nose, causing a lot of spluttering on my part and a whole lot of laughing on everyone else's. "How many times do I have to tell you, git, not to call me that!?" America shrugs, still laughing, as Canada passes me a tissue.

"T-thanks..." I cough, shaking my head. "Stars, that was an epic fail. We should've filmed it." America nods energetically.

"Yeah! And we could get so much money! Someone get a camera!" I raise an eyebrow.

"Uh...it's already happened, you know." He doesn't waver.

"Yeah, so?" I immediately facepalm, hearing England muttering behind me something about "bloody stupid git". _You dense..._ I begin to add a few colourful nouns to end the expression, but abandon the effort as I discover that words aren't enough. "Ve! Iyla!" I hear someone call, and I turn to meet Italy and his brother, holding their heads at a rather awkward angle, arguing profusely in Italian. "Hey Italy, is everything ok?" At the split second that Romano stops for a moment, Italy speaks. "Ve... Um... Me and Romano have a little problem... Could you help us? And then I want to introduce you to the Nordics!" I cock my head.

"Yeah, sure. Come over here." I pull them over into a corridor as America calls after us.

"See ya Iyla! And dude, Italy! You're out of control! How many people do you know?!" I place my hands on my hips.

"So what's the problem?" The two, after some argument in Italian, move their heads apart to reveal a massive knot where their curls are normally. "Stars!" I exclaim loudly, moving to inspect the thing. "How, do you even..." I shake my head. "I don't even..."

"Just untangle us, star bastard!"

"Ve, can you use your magic?" Shrugging, I begin to rub the knot in between my thumb and finger, loosening the threads. Oddly, the two immediately tense, becoming a little pink. "Guys?"

"Just get it done!"

"V-ve Iyla, please..." I eye the knot, frowning. _They're not going to like this..._

"Um... Guys, I can't do this myself, let me just call Germany and Spain, ok? And why didn't you call them in the beginning?" Both start, becoming more pink by the second.

"If you get them, star bastard, I'll rip you apart with tomatoes!"

"Ve Iyla, please don't!" My eyes widen. _This is getting weird... _I cross my arms.

"I'm not going to do anything until you tell me exactly what's up with those curls." Italy opens his mouth, but is promptly slapped by Romano.

"If you dare tell her Veneziano, I will-"

"Romano! Do you want to be stuck in this mess forever? Forever is a long time and I don't want to be here for a long time!" Italy is shaking, becoming more agitated by the second. That shuts Romano up.

"T-tell her..." He mumbles.

"V-ve... Iyla, the curls... They are, um... What's the word?" He turns to his brother.

"E-erogenous..." He mutters under his breath. _Wait what?_

"Ve, they're our, erogenous zones..." I blink twice. _One, what the actual fuck, two, wait what?, three..._ I bite my lip hard to stop myself from laughing.

"Star bastard! It's not funny! Just use your weird magic stuff to untangle us!" Romano exclaims, properly blushing now. "Aww, man, you two are way too cute when you blush... Ok, ok!" I add to Romano's scowl. Concentrating, I summon up my energy and direct it towards the two. _Move that, push there..._ The two relax, slowly returning to normal. A few minutes later, I take a look. _Ok, that one there... Done! _Clicking my fingers, my energy falls away, and surprisingly, so do my legs. The next thing I know, I'm on the floor, my legs bent underneath me. Groggily, I look up and try to focus on the hand waving in my face. "Star bastard? Talk to me, and don't you dare faint on me!" Slowly, everything moves back into in clarity, and I see Romano waving in my face, Italy anxiously looking over his shoulder. "I'm ok guys, I just wasn't paying attention and I used more energy than I thought I did." Romano grabs my arm and hauls me to my feet, sighing.

" Bueno." After a moment, I do a double take, a smirk frowning on my face.

" hang on... Isn't that spanish?" Romano snorts, looking away.

"No! I don't speak Spanish anyway!" I nod, raising an eyebrow.

"uh huh, right." Opening the door, I feel like I've stepped into chaos itself.

Hehe, the Italy brothers get their curls tangled XD I loved that ep, Germany you sick minded little...XD *rusn from Germany fangirls* oh yah CLIFF HANGAAAAAAR

songs were

die young remix Kesha ft. Becky G, juicy J.

sky full of stars, Coldplay.

i always figured the Italy bros would be epic dancers and singers, and England could probably sing as well.


	9. Chapter 9

So, last chappie Iyla stepped into chaos and I don't own hetalia.

Chairs are broken, as are glasses, food is everywhere, and everyone is crowded to the sides, except for America. "America!" I yell. "What's going on!?" America looks over in my direction, smiling happily.

"Oh, he always gets like this when he starts drinking." A moment later, a slurred response tells me who _he_ is. "Oi! You don't know me! I'm the United bloody kingdom and I can hold my locker better than you any day!" America steps back.

"Dude calm down!" _Oh my stars... England you... Fuuuuuuudge. _

"Shut up!" I grimace and hold up a hand.

"Sorry England, you'll thank me later." With that, I look away and shoot a bolt of energy at him, knocking him straight out. "Can someone get a bucket of water?" I yell, sprinting forward to catch the nation as he slumps over. Grinning, America jerks a thumb towards England. "The dude can party," he comments. France sighs, handing me the water.

"Mon dieu, quel canard..." I hear a laugh behind me and spot Canada standing nearby.

"Oh, hey Canada." I say cheerfully as I empty the water on England's face. "Ok, everyone backbackbackbackbackback!" I shriek, knowing full well that the British nation could be in a foul mood when he wakes up. Groaning, he jerks up, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning England..." I sigh under my breath.

"Whoever made me this wet is going to be cursed tonight." I shrug and smile.

"Sorry, but I don't think you can actually put a curse on a star," I say helping him up. "Too bad."

"Oh god, I swear I'm never going to drink again... Someone please kill me..." He groans, his head in his hands as I snort with laughter and hand him to America, who manages to drag him upstairs with ease. Dusting my hands, I look around. "Um, I think it's time to go..."

"Ve, America said we could stay over tonight!" I look at Italy.

"Cool! Ok... Sorry guys, party's over! Time to go home!" After the other nations disappear, it's just me, America, France, Canada, Spain, Germany, japan, a country with white hair and red eyes, who I don't actually know, and the Italy brothers, not counting England recovering upstairs. "Oh boy. He made a pretty big mess, huh?" America groans. "So much effort..." I laugh, pushing him to the side.

"You forget you have a star for a best friend." I raise my arms, everything in the room floating upwards with it. "Ve-e! That's so cool!"

"Ja, it is pretty cool. But not as awesome as me!" I turn my head from rearranging the room. _Did Germany just say that?_ It turns out that the owner of the voice is the albino stranger standing next to Germany. "Hey west! Who's the kinda awesome girl doing the magic stuff?" I raise an eyebrow, swinging my arm around so the jug of water I'm holding spills directly on his face. "That's the fully awesome Iyla to you. And you would be?" Wiping away the water, he stands up, pulling off a glove with his teeth. Setting down the last few objects, I give him my hand. "I, am the awesome Prussia!" I nod.

"Iyla, the North Star." Germany comes up behind Prussia and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Ja, Iyla, this is my bruder. East, you have to go home now." Prussia flashes his red eyes at his brother.

"What? You can't get rid of the Awesomeness that is me! Are you seriously telling me to go home?" Germany crosses his arms.

"Ja, so maybe I am." The two stare down each other for a moment before Prussia grins, slapping his brother on the back before swinging out the door. "Good thing you finally grew a backbone, west!" I shake my head as Germany pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "I apologise Iyla, my brother can be a little..."

"Arrogant?" I offer.

"ja, that." I shrug, smiling.

"It's ok. Right, America, what are we doing!" America holds up a DVD case, jerking his thumb in the direction of the massive TV room I saw earlier. "We're watching one of Japan's horror movies!" Italy immediately clings to his brother's arm, making it kind of funny to watch them try to sit onto the sofa. "Ok enough, get off me Veneziano!"

" What's it called?" I ask, settling down next to America.

"Ju-on, the grudge! It's supposed to be really scary right?" This question being directed to Japan.

"Hai. It is based on an urban legend in my country." My heart speeds up a little.

"Oh boy, I'm not too sure about this America..." America grins.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine!"

"What about you America-San? Last time we watched this, you-"

"Haha! That was last time!" America cuts japan off.

"just put ze movie on already!" France exclaims. With that, the lights switch off and the movie starts. I'm sitting next to America, who is next to japan. Then there is France, who is in-between Canada and Spain, who is sitting next to Romano, since Italy insisted on being sandwiched in-between him and Germany. "Ve, Germany I'm scared!"

" you'll be fine Italy..." The screen shows the main character walking through a house with a torch, which flickers .Time. Suddenly, the music picks up, and I tense. Swinging around, we see nothing, and open a nearby door. Whatever scares me is too fast or I don't look long enough to see it, but I know that it has me flying to my feet and crashing into something standing in the doorway. The movie pauses, and I sense a few people rushing over, but I refuse to uncurl, shaking violently. "Jeez Iyla, we should've probably warned ya, huh?"

"Iyla, calme-toi! C'est ça va!"

"Bloody hell woman, watch where you're going!" I look up. _Oh stars, was it England standing there!?_ "S-sorry England..." I stutter. "I'm ok guys, I just...wasn't ready for it." America helps me up.

"It's cool. Come on and sit! England, come sit with your girlfriend!" He nudges me on the last word and despite me being scared out of my merde, I go a little pink. "Now see here you wanker-" I tug down on his sleeve, making him fall onto the sofa.

"Just shut up..." I mumble. England blinks, before settling down and fixing his eyes on the TV.

"Ok, I'm starting it up again. Everyone ok?" Everyone gives a thumbs up, except Italy who is still hiding in Germany's jacket. _Here we go... _The next scare makes even England jump a little, and I bite down hard on my hand to stop myself from crying out, my heartbeat racing. From then on, there is a brief reprieve of creeping around the house, every moment becoming more tense. _I swear on my stars, my heart's going to explode!_ A few moments later, a soft snore comes from a side of the room, and I turn my head to see Italy asleep on Germany. A nervous laugh escapes me, joined soon by the others. Unfortunately, that laughter turns to squeals as the creepy grudge lady wraps her fingers around the doorframe._ I haven't been this scared in my life!_ I manage to stop any screams that might have been rising in my throat, but a small whimper manages to squeeze through. "Iyla?" England asks quietly. "Are you alright?" I increase my white-knuckled grip on my legs and shake my head. Slowly, he moves so that his hand is just touching mine, a small comfort helping me hang on to reality. "Easy..." He murmurs softly. Trying to calm down, I decide to observe the nations around me. _America's as eager as ever, japan just sits there... Romano is scowling at Germany, who's a bit uncomfortable, since... _I smile a little. _Canada is pretty relaxed, I guess, and France... What the hell is he doing?_ The Frenchman is making odd gestures with his arms, as if he's trying to put them around someone. _Who is he signing to-_ I go a little pink as I see England make an obscene hand gesture in his direction, showing that the conversation is between them. _Oh...I get it._ Shaking my head, I lean back, somewhat more relaxed than earlier. _I can do this. It's not that scary- OK YES IT IS!_ "Ohhhh my staaaaars she's right in my face!" I whimper, whipping away from the screen, my heart pounding. "Iyla... I would rather not lose my arm from lack of blood flow..." I look up to see England raising his eyebrows at me and jerk away.

"Whoa my stars, sorry!"

"Ohonhonhonhon..." I don't even need to check where I'm shooting my lightning: only one person laughs like that. "Merde! Mon dieu Iyla!" I snort.

"That's what you get."

the grudge is a SCARY movie, jeez! I don't blame Iyla for freaking out, at all. And we have ZE AWESOME PRUSSIA! Remember how to spell awesome kids: P-R-U-S-S-I-A. XD


	10. Chapter 10

*singing* iiii, doooon't, owwwwn, hetaaaaaalia...

Getting up from the sofa is harder than it sounds. Not least because my limbs have turned to jelly. _I'm going to kill America tomorrow. _"Ok guys!" America claps his hands. "Time to go to sleep, and don't mind the storm!"

"What storm you wanker; I can't hear anything!" France nods, as does Spain and Germany. "For once, I 'ave to agree with Angleterre."

"Shut up frog." I roll my eyes.

"Ladies, ladies! You're both pretty, can we go now?" I ask sarcastically. America snorts.

"Nice one Iyla! And you can't hear anything 'cause the walls are sound proofed. Come out here and you'll see." We all troop out of the room, save for Italy who Germany tucked in on the sofa _(awwwwww!)_. Almost immediately, we are hit by an onslaught of rolling thunder and hail, trying to batter through the roof and walls. I recoil away, clinging to America's arm. "W-what the hell is that!" America turns and fixes on me.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you don't know anything." I scowl.

"I do too-" a bright bolt of lightning cuts me off, making me squeak.

"Wind, rain, electricity all rolled up into a cloud and coming out of the sky, basically!" I wince.

"Yeah, really loud thunder and bright lightning that cuts the sky in half!" I hear someone whisper-scream behind me. _Romano?_ I think, turning. _Romano hates storms?_ Sure enough, the normally confident and foul-mouthed Italian is white as a sheet and trembling slightly. I can feel his terror from here. _Well, not exactly here...I need to tell them soon, I can't keep it from them for too long. If I ever get hurt and don't concentrate, it could all backfire and they will be the ones feeling it as well. Damn it._ America spreads his arms. "Pick a room, any room! Rules are, don't kill anyone and no kissing in the night! France, you are banned from going into other people's rooms after what happened last time." America blanches, and I grimace.

"Do I even want to know-"

"No." England replies quickly, matching my expression. Everyone splits off into separate rooms, and I quickly follow suit, crashing into the large bed. _So soft- MOTHER OF!_ I squeal as lightning flashes across the window, illuminating the room and bringing a huge roll of thunder, like a roaring beast. Whimpering, I pull all the covers and pillows off and throw them into a pile in a corner, burrowing into them like a hibernating animal. Another loud crash brings tears to my eyes, and I press into the folds of cotton, trying to fend away the rain. "Motheroffuckmotheroffuckmotheroffuck!" I curse under my breath. _Breathe Iyla, you're going to be ok, it's alright... _I hear a creaking of floorboards and dive into the blanket. _Ohmystarsohmystars it's the grudge! _I brace myself, hearing sharp nails drag across the floor, haggard breathing and the dripping of blood... Launching upwards,I let out a shriek and tackle the figure, my blades at their neck. "Iyla! Is this going to become a habit with you?" I gasp and scramble away, the surprise voice making my hair stand on end.

"W-who is it?" I squeak. I hear a soft chuckle over the sound of the pounding rain.

"I just come in to check that you're ok with the storm, and you almost kill me. I'm going to take that as a no, by the way." The figure sits next to me in my little castle.

"England?" I gasp out.

"Of course. Come here love." He sighs, curling an arm around me, the behaviour being so unusual that I make no move to avoid him. "God, you're shaking like a leaf in a storm! This really isn't your thing, is it?" I shake my head, a light laugh escaping me as I lean into his arms, my head resting on his chest. He stiffens for a moment before moving to accommodate me. We are met with a period of silence broken only by streaks of lightning and crashes of thunder. "Say something so I know you haven't had a heart attack..." I snort.

"Truth or dare?" I feel England move so he can meet my eyes.

"Really?" I nod. "Ok, truth."

"Why won't you ever let Sealand be a country? He's still a kid, granted, but he's strong, mentally. He'd be a good nation." England looks away, out of the window.

"He's too small." I poke his side.

"That's not the real reason," I press. "What is it that's stopping you?"

"I have a habit for losing things." He finally begins, after a while. "Books, my glasses... People." I blink. _Is...he actually opening up? No way! _He doesn't continue.

"People?" I ask tentatively.

"Friends, family... The colonies, my brothers, you too." I gulp.

_He doesn't know you know about what happened, so keep it that way!_ I tell myself.

"In the beginning, I thought it was just my bad luck, but when the war with America started, I had... A revelation. It was me. Something I had done, something that I was, it just pushed people away. No one could stay with me, and after a while, I just didn't blame them. You were the last straw, really. Someone actually died because of me-" he stops, staring at me. Then he shakes his head. "You deserve to know. The American revolution ended because of it. I..It was the last day of the war, although we didn't know. Rain poured down, a bit like now." The scene he is describing sounds awfully familiar. _Oh stars... _

"I was going to shoot America. My finger was on the trigger, I pulled it-" he pauses. "I didn't even see you move. You jumped in front of America. You took the bullet. I..I shot you Iyla. I'm not even going to ask you to forgive me. If I can't forgive myself, what hope do you have?" I can't even open my mouth before he starts again. "I'm a cold blooded killer, with silver and red blood on my hands. But when Peter-" he clamps a hand over his mouth, a string of curses following. I cock my head. "Peter?" England wipes a hand over his face.

"Well... What I'm about to tell you is only known by the nations. We don't talk about it, but we all know it." I nod. "All the nations have a human name, which we use when we interact with humans. They're precious to us, it's like...it gives us an identity that doesn't just make us representations of a landmass. It's almost what makes us live. Not physically, but... Anyway, Sealand's human name is Peter. We only share our names with relatives and such, so I know Sealand's, he knows mine, as does my brothers, Australia, and America. But as I was saying, when I found Sealand, I realised that he would eventually leave as well. But, I don't think, that I can't take that." The words are coming out with more difficulty. "So I decided, if I could force him to stay, if I could make him, then he wouldn't! I always knew he would end up hating me, but I can't- I just can't- why would he want to stay anyway? Sometimes I wonder if I should let him go to protect him from me! From me, the black sheep of Europe who everyone hates, and just wants to stay away from because of something he doesn't even know-" I pin him against the wall, my crystalline eyes piercing his dulled green ones.

"Stop. Right there. Do you really believe that you're that awful England? Do you? No nation has clean hands! Everybody has had to kill someone! It's part of who you are! And do you really think that we all hate you? Do you really think that the colonies left because they hated you? No! They just wanted a life for themselves, we all do deep down! Would you be here if the other nations hated you that much! Would I be here, right now, telling you that you're quite possibly the most amazing person I've ever met, and would I be desperately trying not to kiss you on the forehead right now because you look way too cute if I hated you?" With that, I slump next to him, my cheeks burning. "Stars, I wasn't supposed to say that out loud." England snorts.

"...I'm not cute." He says gruffly. I laugh.

"Of course not- STARS ABOVE!" I scream as thunder shakes the house about. England clamps a hand on my mouth. "Be quiet Iyla!" He hisses. I whimper, tears running down my face. Slowly, he wraps his arms around me, tucking my head under his chin. "Easy, easy love."

"S-sing?" I mumble after my body stops shaking.

"Hmm?" I hum six notes out of my memory, and England tenses for a second before sighing. "I'm not a very good singer-"

"Don't even go there, I was listening earlier. Go." I command. He takes a breath, beginning softly.

**Little child, be not afraid, the rain pounds harsh against the glass, **

**Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger, I am here tonight.**

**Little child, be not afraid, though thunder explodes and lightning flash, **

**Illuminates, your tearstained face, I am here tonight,**

**And some day you'll know, that nature is so, the same rain that draws you near me,**

**Falls on rivers and land, and forests and sand, makes the beautiful world that you see, **

**In the morning.**

**Little child, be not afraid, the storm clouds mask your beloved moon, **

**And it's candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams, and I am here tonight.**

**Little child, be not afraid, the wind makes creatures of our trees, **

**And the branches to hands, they're not real understand, and I am here tonight, **

**And some day you'll know, that nature is so, the same rain that draws you near me,**

**Falls on rivers and land, and forests and sand, makes the beautiful world that you see, **

**In the morning.**

**For you know, once even I was a little child, and I was afraid, but a gentle someone never came-**

My ears prick up. _That's not right... A gentle someone always came, that's how it's supposed to be- Oh. Oh England..._

**To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears and to give a kiss goodnight, **

**But now I am grown, and these years have shown, that rain's a part of how life goes-**

He stops. "England?"

"I always forget the words here, hang on..." I smile.

"Good thing I don't."

**But it's dark and it's late, so can you hold me and wait, until my frightened eyes do close- **

England pauses, probably because I changed the words, but soon joins in.

**And I hope that you'll know, that nature is so, the same rain that draws you near me,**

**Falls on rivers and land, and forests and sand, makes the beautiful world that you see, **

**In the morning,**

**Everything's fine in the morning,**

**The rain'll be gone in the morning,**

**But you'll still be here in the morning...**

I don't remember falling asleep, only relaxing in England's arms, feeling safe.

AN: awwww, fluff! And some feel earlier, i guess...I love that song! It's lullaby for a stormy night by Vienna Teng, so I obviously don't own it. We're getting really close to where I've stopped writing, so there may be some delay between this chappie and the next :( sowwy...


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: AND IT IS FINALLY UP! XD I'm so sorry to all the kind people who are reading this, thank you for bearing with me! THIS CHAPTER IS SO WORTH IT I SWEAR THE PLOT IS ACTUALLY STARTING! Annychan, my bestie, if you ever read this, thanks for inspiring me. :D NOW ONWARDS WITH UNFAILURE- Waiiiit. I forgot... Do I really need to say that I DO NOT OWN HETALIA every chappie? Aw hey, screw it.**

I awake to giggling nearby. "Leave me alone America, I'm asleep..." I groan.

"Hehe...this is totally going on Facebook." Opening one eye, I find him staring intently at the display on his phone. A few things register in my mind.

_1. America probably just took a photo,_

_2. While I was asleep,_

_3. And England is still here, which is surprising- _

My brain finally clicks and I leap up, sprinting after America. "UNITED BLOODY STATES OF AMERICA, GIVE ME THAT PHONE OR SO HELP ME, I WILL BLAST YOU TO KINGDOM COME!" He laughs out loud and throws himself into a corner in his main room. I smirk. "Bad place to go, buddy..." I say menacingly, white energy beginning to spark around my hands. "Ok, ok!" He squeals, throwing me the phone. I laugh.

"You scream like a girl."

"I do not!" I raise my eyebrows.

"Riiiiight..."

America snorts, leaping off the ground and dragging me by the hand to his dining room, where most of the nations are already sitting. France raises his eyebrows at me.

" Ohonhon mon chère, it seems you managed to tame the beast, non?" I roll my eyes, pink staining my cheeks. "Damn it France, shut up... I just woke up, come on..." I groan.

"Ohon, and you're looking exceptionnellement beautiful today; tell me, did you fall from 'eaven again?" I facepalm as America next to me plants his head on the table.

"Dude, uncool."

"No," I respond, a smirk growing on my features, "but I scraped my knee crawling out of hell." France stares at me, affronted, while America collapses on the ground, howling with laughter, Spain giggles along with Italy and Canada, Roma snorts and even Germany and japan have slight smiles on their faces. I grin along. _If this is what family is like, I could definitely get used to it._ I sigh contentedly. "Did everyone sleep ok?" I ask. Italy gives me a thumbs up.

"Ve~ si! And I think fratello slept good as well, he slept with-" Romano slams a hand over his mouth, but not before a muffled name escapes him. "GODAMMIT IDIOTA FRATELLO!" He yells, his face turning red. Spain chuckles.

"Heh, Roma, your face looks like a to-"

"Don't finish that sentence if you value your life." Romano growls darkly. Just then, the door clicks open and England walks in, his hair messier than usual and sticking up, his eyes glassy. I fight to keep my giggles down. _He looks so cute! Wait. I did not just think that. No._ "Eh, bonjour Angleterre," France sings. " It seems you found an angel, non?" I groan, covering my face as England growls out

" Shut it, frog face," sitting down next to me.

"Guys, come on. Not cool..." I try to distract the attention away from England and I, which thankfully works, as America lets out a yell about a new hero in his favourite comic series or whatever, and I sigh inwardly in relief. "I-Iyla." I turn to see England staring at a cup of tea in his hands, a rough and slightly apprehensive look on his face. "Hey, what is it? Are you ok?" I ask, a little concerned. _What's bothering him? _

"Last night-" I sit back in my chair, quickly cutting him off.

"Never happened. My lips are sealed." I mime zipping them shut and it brings a relieved smile to his face.

After finally leaving the table and getting dressed after an incident involving Romano discovering,and becoming addicted, to nutella and refusing to let it go, we all are standing just outside America's house. "Ve~" I am given a two second warning before I am hit with the force of a brick.

"Whoa! Italyyyy, I can't breathe!" He finally releases me, giggling.

" Sorry, I just wanted to give you a hug before we go! We'll see you at the next meeting, right?" I nod, smiling brightly.

"Sure. When is it?" Germany looks over in my direction, from where he was talking with japan.

" Zwei... Two weeks." _Two weeks... Then that'll be-!_ My eyes light up as two memories connect.

"Hey, my wings will be better by then!" Italy beams, taking my hands and spinning me around quickly as I yelp in surprise. " That's great! Ve~ can I see you fly? Can I can I can I?"

"Italy, if I could, I'd take you flying with me. I don't actually know if I can do that..." I trail off, thinking absentmindedly of how I could do it. "Iyla! Mon chere! s'il vous plaît , ne pas m'abandonner!" I am met with a tearful France, grabbing my arm and holding it in a death grip. I sigh. "Je te vois à la prochaine réunion mondiale, ok?" He sniffles. "God, you're a man child..." Tentatively, I begin to try to pry him off, but he simply holds on tighter.

"Uhhhhh... ENGLAND!" I yell, calling the blond from his argument with America, making him look over. I gesture at my arm. "A little help here? I'd prefer not to blow him up." Quickly, he strides over, detaching France from my now numb limb, and reprimanding him with a few choice words. _Probably including bloody frog_, I think, smiling. "Ve~ is it time to go?" America grins, slinging an arm around as many people as he can reach.

" Yep! My head hurts from all you guys in one place..." He grumbles. England snorts.

"That's your brain trying, and failing, to comprehend it's own stupidity." Suppressing a smile, I pull England away from America, reminding him that we need to go. "Right! See you at the next meeting everyone. Unfortunately." He grasps my hand, and I quickly wave to the nations in front of me before we fall into suffocating darkness. Soon enough, however, light grows and changes into the recognisable form of England's front room. With a gasp, my feet meet solid ground and I sit in a heap on the floor. "Words cannot explain how much I hate that..." I shake my head, heaving to my feet to see England climbing the stairs to the right. "I'm just going to wash up... Bloody America doesn't even have decent hygiene." He mutters under his breath. Shrugging, I run up the ornate stairs on the opposing side, practically falling through my door and onto my bed. _That was great._ I think back to yesterday. _Really great._ _The singing, and the dancing... And the Italy brothers got their curls tangled.. _I giggle at the memory. _And England opened up... _ I roll onto my back. _I wonder if he remembers how much he actually told me._ I now harbour a new level of respect for the personification. _To have to deal with all of that...and not lose your mind... All the pain and death of stars know how many years, locked up in the back of your mind like a shadow waiting to pull you under. Maybe the nations are wired differently, _I muse. _Maybe their minds have evolved to be able to push it all down and away; a normal person would have snapped long beforehand. But I suppose... I suppose they have to let it out sometimes... Or maybe because England is alone so much, he has more time to wallow in the past, while the other nations, like America, or Italy, they're so cheerful and social, with so many friends that they don't think about it so much. And America and Italy are such happy people anyway._ A light smile ghosts my face. _All their happy emotions, flowing over me- _my smile drops, my eyes casting downwards at the thought of my struggle._ I..I should tell them. There's so many ways in which it could all go wrong, and I could hurt them when I'm trying to protect them!_ Shivers run up my spine at the thought. Spending more time with the nations has reminded me how much they mean to me; everything. If anything ever hurt them, I'd never forgive myself.

And that's why I did it.

That's why there's a string of energy connecting my soul to each of theirs.

It's why I can get into their heads, it's why I know, I feel, when they're scared, or hurt, it's why they're my whole world.

Literally. The irony strikes me.

Imagine a chain from their soul, wrapping around mine. Every time they're hurt, that chain squeezes tighter, and I feel some of that pain. _I should really tell them. Before something happens and I'm not there. _I wince at the thought. I sit upright, my spine clicking at the sudden movement, and I bounce off the cream coloured coverlet, my bare feet landing on the wooden floor._ I'll tell him,_ I think resolvedly._ I'll tell England...before I chicken out._ The floor creaks under my weight as I make my way over to England's room, and as I do so, nervousness overtakes me. _What am I going to say? I can't exactly go in there and announce; hey England, so you see I've made these soul links between you guys and me so whenever you get hurt I take on half the damage, and It's why I feel compelled to protect you guys! Ok I'm done, bye!_ I snort at the charade in my mind. _Like that would go down well._ Nevertheless, I continue on my way. _I have to do this. Besides, lying would never help either when they cut their knee and I have to explain why I'm suddenly bleeding from my heart. Speaking of souls... I remember something that almost fled my mind at America's party. America and Canada's souls are linked, like Italy and Romano's. That makes sense; they're brothers._ I pass the library door: only a few metres now. _But what doesn't make sense is the fact that their souls are giving off an odd aura, not like the nations, but more like mine...or England's. _I pause. _Like England's? _The thought drifts unbidden into my mind. _What do all four of our souls have in common? _I frown, my musing not making sense, and shaking my head to clear my mind, I slip through England's door. Immediately, my frown turns to a light smile, and from there, to holding back giggles. He's standing in front of a tall, silver framed mirror, trying, and failing, to tame his messy hair. After a few attempts, he snorts angrily and mutters something under his breath, most likely profanities, and reverts to fixing his shirt. Eventually, however, something odd happens. The air in the room seems to drop a few degrees, and I unconsciously move to hold my arms. England's still looking at the mirror, but he's stopped fixing his clothing. It's almost as if he's looking at something _in _the mirror. Narrowing my eyes, I crane my neck to look. At first glance, the reflection is normal, but after I stare a while, changes seem to occur. His eyes seem more blue than green, and his hair seems neater, and almost a pinkish tinge. Finally, something happens that makes me leap out into the open, letting out a yell as I shoot energy at the mirror, breaking it into millions of pieces like a woken nightmare. Slowly lowering my arm, not breaking eye contact with that mirror, my breathing slows. "Iyla! What the hell-" England strides over to me, but I stop him with one hand held out in his direction. "Go," I say quietly, choosing my words carefully, " Call every nation you can, and hold an emergency world meeting. Wherever it's easiest, and as soon as possible. Tomorrow." England splutters at my demand.

"What the hell is this about? And you can't just hold a meeting-" I round on him, my eyes blazing with fury. _Doesn't he get it?! _

_ JUST DO IT! _I yell out, making him step back in shock at the force of my mental shriek. We lock eyes, mine daring him to challenge me, his equally forceful, laced with confusion. He's the first to break away. "You better tell me what this is about as soon as I'm done." With that, he walks out, his green coat swinging behind him. As soon as the door closes, I release a breath I didn't know I was holding. _What this is about? It's about my fears. I'm scared, for you and all the nations. _I don't think out, only keeping my thoughts to myself. Eventually, I move from my position by the door and crouch next to the fragments of mirror that I blew apart. Why did I blow it apart? Because what happened there wasn't normal. A normal reflection doesn't pull out a bloody knife, smile psychotically and then try to stab through the mirror. Carefully, I extend tendrils of energy towards a large shard, levitating it up so I don't have to hold it. Within a few moments, my gaze is met by one blue eye, and I withdraw backwards. "Who are you?" I demand, tense, ready to spring away at any moment. An odd laugh echoes around the room, sounding metallic and as if through a computer filter, broken and scratchy. "Who am I? Relax poppet, I'm England." He says it with sarcasm, as if he's trying not to laugh at the idea. "You're not. " I spit. "Who are you? And no lies." The eye draws away, revealing a shadowed figure. To my shock, it does look almost exactly like England. Then again, England wouldn't spin a knife around his finger. The almost silhouette sighs. "I suppose you could call me Oliver, for the sake of clarity." I cock my head, becoming more alert by the second. "What are you? And what do you want?" Oliver mimics my action, cocking his head as he focuses on running a finger down his knife. "What I want? Well, it's quite simple my dear." I shy away at the pet name, sounding so wrong from this person's mouth. "I want power. Doesn't everyone? My point being, I have quite the game set up for you and your... Friends." My eyes alight, hoping against hope that they don't betray the trace of fear that's present in my blood. "Touch them and I will fucking rip you apart!" I snarl. Instantly, the look on Oliver's face changes, from passive to aggressive and menacing. Leaning forward, his eyes darkened, he speaks in a voice far lower than what it was before. "You'll be paying for those words, Polaris. And not with money." With that, his image fades from the glass until all I can see is my own shaking form. His words instilled more fear in me than I can believe. It's not what he said;it's what he didn't say.

_You'll be paying for those words, Polaris. And not with money. _The unspoken words hang in the air like a thread of fate. _With blood. _

And what troubles me is not that he wants blood. It's whose. _Mine... Or theirs? _Shaking, I heave to my feet, racing to catch up with England, leaving the nightmare glass behind.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: AND WE HAVE PLOT! XD thanks to anyone who's reading this, you guys really make me happy. Reviews are chocolate! (I'm a chocoholic- YOU DIDNT HEAR ANYTHING)**

Next day

"I'm warning you Iyla; half of them are furious, and desperate to know what the bloody hell is going on. As am I." At this, England glares at me as we walk towards where he's installed the nations. I stare blankly ahead, too many questions cluttering my mind to form a comprehensible answer. As soon as England opens the heavy oak door, however, I almost do regret my decision. _Almost. There's good reason for everyone of them being here. _Upon our entry, China slams his hands onto the table and stands, yelling above everyone; " Why the hell are we here-aru? It is two in the morning where I am for god's sake!" The rest of the room collapses into another cacophony of yelling until I muster my energy to shriek _EVERYONE SHUT UP RIGHT NOW! _The room falls silent in shock at my outburst. _THERE IS GOOD REASON FOR ALL OF YOU BEING HERE AND IT MIGHT CONCERN YOUR LIVES, BUT I CAN'T SAY UNTIL YOU SHUT UP!_ I thunder, striding over to stand behind my chair. The nations slowly begin to sink into theirs, quiet at last. I run my eyes over them. _Italy's scared, the rest are just confused...hold on. I asked for everyone, didn't I? _"Where are Prussia and Romano?" I demand into the thick atmosphere. "This concerns every nation." Germany raises his hand, and I nod in his direction.

"Zey are outside. Shall I call zem in?" I nod again.

"Please." Moments later, the two are inside the room and pissed.

"Ha! Told jou that jou couldn't get rid of my awesomeness for too long! Kesese!" Prussia stands with his hands on his hips, Romano glaring darkly beside him. "What the hell is going on star bastard? You call us up to the goddamn eyebrows bastard's place, totally randomly, and then you tell us fucking nothing?!" Italy trembles under his brother's wrath, tears welling in his amber eyes. "Ve~ Fratello, she's going to tell us now..." Romano snorts.

"Fucking finally," he spits, pulling a stool up to the table as Prussia does the same. I breathe out_. They're all ok...I know I can tell, but it's still good to see with my own eyes._ "Firstly, I want to thank you all for coming at such short notice," I begin, noting the eyerolls I am greeted with.

"Aiyaa, just get on with it already." I bite my lip.

"Has any of you... Witnessed anything strange lately? Perhaps objects shaking or breaking, or... Say... Distorted reflections?" The countries start. America scratches behind his neck, a slightly pensive look on his face. "Haha... Now that ya mention it... I've been getting a few more earthquakes than normal...and ya know my baseball bat?" A few nations nod knowingly. "Well, uh... I found it this mornin' with nails hammered into it." He looks down, seemingly distraught. _He's upset, I guess it was special to him._ I bite my lip to stop my face from showing how his emotions are affecting me. _I have to tell them!_ I sternly tell myself. _They deserve to know! ...after the meeting. Then I will,_ I resolve. "Ve~ can I say something?" Italy stands, his cheery expression gone for once. I nod, and he looks around fearfully. "When I woke up this morning... There were knife scratches on the wall above my head..." He trembles as my eyes widen. _Knife scratches!? _

"Chigi! Why didn't you say anything dumbass fratello! You should've come fucking running like you always do!" Romano glares up at him, looking furious, but I feel something different underneath._ What- oh. Ohhhh. _A light smile graces my face. Even if he denies it, he does care about him. Italy steps back. "Waaaah! I told Germany, and he said I would see you today so I thought it was okay!"

"You think just telling the damn potato bastard is enough?!" I slam my hand on the table.

"Guys, enough! Is there anything else that's been going on lately?" I ask, scanning each of their faces. Nobody speaks. I sigh. "Ok... Well, last night, England was standing by one of his mirrors and-"

"I think I can explain myself, poppet." An eerie voice echoes around the room and I freeze.

"Dude, I-Iggy, not cool man! Speak normally!" America exclaims, obviously freaked out.

"But I didn't bloody say anything!" England retorts back.

"That's... Not England." I say quietly, and the nations stop. Spinning around, I search the room. "Where are you?" I snarl.

"Right here, dearest." A few giggles escape the familiar voice as I spin around to see Oliver reflected in a window. "Bastard." I spit. Oliver frowns.

"Like I said, Polaris, I don't particularly like swearing. Aha! And there is myself, no?" Oliver throws out a finger to point at England, who is staring in horror at the window with the other nations. "Dude, who the hell are you!?" America yells out. Oliver narrows his eyes at America before his face lights up.

"Aha! And you must be the _great, heroic_ America, am I not right?" His sarcastic laughter peals around the room like discordant bells. "I do hope you enjoyed Allen's little gift. He was pounding for hours to get that crust to move." America's eyes widen in shock.

"People died there, man! That's sick!" Oliver shakes his head.

"You're only proving to me more how utterly pathetic you are. And, how utterly necessary it is for you to be... Ah.. How can I put this delicately..." Here, Oliver swings his knife around his fingers. "Eliminated." My heart leaps into my throat.

"Didn't I tell you I would rip you apart if you touched them!?" I shout, my eyes burning with hatred. _If he lays a single of his fingers on any of them.._ "Let me give an example." He continues, beckoning someone to join him at his side. The room intakes a collective gasp. "Waaah! That's me!" Italy cries out, pointing to the figure at Oliver's side. The other Italy snorts. " Me, you? Please. The name is Luciano, and- ALLEN DO NOT TOUCH MY KNIVES! ESSI SONO FOTTUAMENTE MIEI! IDIOTA!" He screams, marching out of the frame where yells ensue. Oliver sighs. "As you can see, being immortal allows them to kill each other as much as they want. Still, better than you guys. As I was saying, my Italy is far more adequate for the job as personification. So, we're going to take over and kill you all. It's really nothing personal- ah. That's a lie. You see-" A loud crash echoes to his side, and I hear someone who sounds eerily like Canada yell: "ALLEN YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH THAT WAS MY HOCKEY STICK!" I turn to face the quiet nation, who is trembling in fear. "As I was SAYING," Oliver retorts, " It rather _is _something personal. You see, your 'parents' imprisoned us in this dimension, and we're not quite happy with that. So, ta taa for now. We'll be seeing you soon~" the image cuts out and we are left in empty silence. _No. _It's the first word that comes to mind. _Nononono I will NOT let him hurt them. No they are everything EVERYTHING I have to save them no no nonono- _My panicked thoughts are Suddenly broken by something grabbing me and pulling me close. "Godammit Iyla, calm down!" I hear loudly, shocking me back into calm as My eyes snap open.

"W-wha..?" I mumble as my breathing slows. Whoever is holding me sighs.

"God, I thought you'd had a bloody heart attack!" I pull away to meet England's eyes.

"Hey... Sorry about that." He shakes his head.

"It's.. Alright."

"Ve~ Iyla, are you ok?" I turn to see Italy nearby, looking somewhat concerned. I give him a small smile. "Yeah, I'm ok. I just didn't know what to do for a second." He nods, seemingly satisfied.

"Ha, dudes, don't wanna be the one to kill the moment or anything, but there's a group of **us** trying to_ kill _**us!**" I suppress the urge to roll my eyes as I make my way to my seat.

"They're not us, America." England corrects. "But as for what to do now... I can't say I know. Anyone?" The room, for once, is silent. _I have to think of something! We can't just sit here and-_ I am cut off as Prussia and Germany leap off their chairs in shock as the other nations stand in surprise. Behind where the two were sitting, a sparking, greenish sigil has appeared on the ground. "Dudes, what the hell is that!" America shrieks as wind suddenly picks up in the room.

"If I knew, I would tell you!" I yell back over the torrent. The sparks suddenly gravitate towards the centre of the sigil, forming...a person? The wind suddenly stops, as if everything just froze in mid air. "H-hEllO? CaN YOu HeAr mE?" A grated, scratchy voice reverberates around the room and besides me, England freezes. _He's confused and... Disbelieving? Then he knows what this is!_ "England? What is it?" I question, but I am ignored as he slowly walks closer to the form. "B-Britannia?" He asks, his voice trembling in shock as I cock my head. _Who...?_ The figure tenses and turns towards England. "Listen to me, child." _Child..?_ "I don't have much time. You have to find the pieces! The pieces of the sword! Before they-" the voice cuts out as I lean forward. _Whoever this is, they know what's going on_. "Check the key book! GO! Now-" the sparks suddenly explode outwards, the sigil flaring up for a split second before fading to dark marks. The wind drops again as the room returns to normal, but a sudden movement catches my eye. England's crouched near the ground, brushing over the remains of the sigil with shaking fingers. I cross over to him. "Hey, are you ok?" He swallows, pausing for a second before shaking his head and standing abruptly. "I'm fine." _I know you're lying England... I hope he's alright. _

"Mon dieu , qu'est-ce qui se passe ici?" I hear France ask aloud to the room.

"That thing..." I begin to pace. "Pieces of a sword..."

Canada pipes in. "Pieces of a sword to defeat those guys, maybe? Maybe that's how the ancients did it before? And the key book... Maybe there's a map or something in that book, maybe that's what will tell us how to get the pieces!" Canada finishes, before noticing that the entire room is staring at him and sitting down quickly. "Kesesese! Birdie just got more awesome!" Prussia snorts, ignorant of the situation as usual, flicking a small piece of paper at Canada's head as he flushes red. "Bruder, please, now is not ze time-" I shake my head quickly.

"No no no wait! Canada might be right! But a key book..." I frown.

"Dudes, that could be anything!"

Romano slumps back in his chair. "We're back to fucking square one! Godammit!"

I groan. "Wow, so positive Roma..."

"Do not fucking call me Roma!" He yells.

"Well maybe you could just- argh... No. I'm not fighting with any of you." I calm myself. _Taking anything out on them is a BAD idea. _" Sorry, Romano." He snorts, looking away.

"You better be." _Key book... Key book key book- KEY BOOK!?_ I stand suddenly. "I think I've got it." I say, oddly calm. "I'll be back in a second." With that, I sprint out of the room, practically flying down the stairs towards the library. _England said that figure was Britannia. That's his parent! Then she must have lived here, and put the key book in the library in case it was ever needed again! _ Panting, I dig my heels into the ground to stop myself from crashing into the bookcase in front of me. I place one of my fingers on the spines of the books, running it along chalk x's until I stop at a circle, a satisfied smile on my face. Pinching the sides, I lift it up and out of the mechanism that opens the passageway behind it, and rush back to where the other nations have begun yet another argument. "I got it!" I yell, abruptly stopping all conversations as they crowd around me to get a look at the book. "The.. Key book... In your library..." I pant, as England's eyes widen and he nods.

"You might be right." America grins.

"Well open it already dudes!" England sighs.

"Firstly, we are not 'dud-"

"Aiyaa! Stop arguing already!" Rolling my eyes, I flip open the book. _They really can't keep their attention on one thing for more than- _my thoughts stop short at the sight of a slip of aged, worn paper falling out of the book. "Mon dieu, vous aviez raison Iyla." I nod.

"Dudes! Lemme open it!" America leans over everyone, opening the cracking page with gloved fingers. "Huh? What the hell is it?"

"It's a world map, git." America's face lights up in recognition.

"Dude! I never knew America was that big!" Everyone in the room facepalms.

"Typical Amérique." _Don't be thick America... _Everyone in the room starts.

"Argh! Don't fucking do that without saying, star bastard!" I smirk._ But I can't be bothered to open my mouth... _Italy giggles, and I smile brightly. "Hang on..." England's voice draws my attention to the map again. "The only places marked here are some capitals, not the locations of those pieces." Looking over his shoulder, I see he's right; there's a dot on the capitals of France, England, China, Japan, Germany, Italy, America, Canada, Russia and Spain, next to an image of some monument or building there. Oddly, above each one is a direction; North, South, East, West and so on. "Maybe the pieces are actually hidden in our capitals?" Canada muses quietly.

"Hang on, Canadia's probably right!" America says, slinging an arm around his brother.

"It's Canada, America..."

"But Zhen ve will have to go to each of ze capitals shown." Germany adds. I nod.

"Right!"

"Shouldn't we go as soon as possible then-aru?" England raises his hand and voice.

"Everyone calm down! Now that we know where we're going, raise your hand if you'd like to be in a team on nations to get the pieces." Coincidentally, all the nations who's capitals were on the map raise their hands, along with Romano and Prussia.

"Ve~ fratello, you'll come with me?" Romano groans, shoving his hand into his pockets.

"Si, si idiota. No one takes Italy from me! And I'm not letting you go off with the damn potato bastard- GET THE HELL OFF ME FRATELLO!" Romano struggles to get out of his brother's grip, having been engulfed in a bear hug. I laugh lightly. "Are you coming Iyla?" England asks. I raise my eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure that was obvious." America laughs obnoxiously from nearby. "Haha! Iggy, your girlfriend can take care of herself, no need to worry!" I groan, hanging my head to try to cover my flushing cheeks.

"Bloody git! Anyway! Those who will be travelling to retrieve the pieces can either nation jump back or stay here. We will be leaving at six in the morning, GMT time, be here early!" Most nations groan. "Dude, that's too early!" England rubs his temples.

"That'll be 2 am for you... I suggest you stay here, git." America punches the air.

"Dudes, this is epic! We're gonna be heroes!" The entire room facepalms.

**AN: so the heroes set off on their intrepid adventure- I should just shut up. XD **


End file.
